A Lost Love
by Rhiain
Summary: [complete] It’s been three years since Ginny left and Harry has been looking for her... What happens when he finds her? Where was she? What happened to make her run? and what is she doing in Melbourne Australia? Will she talk to him? or will she run again
1. The Search for Ginny

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Authors Notes: Okay, so Fanfiction.net decided that this story was quote "Not the property of the uploading Author" and they removed it… So I'm going to try again… You can also find the chapters for this story on my Yahoo Group (the link can be found in my bio) 

For everyone who reviewed would you mind reviewing again so I know who is reading this story! Please! We lost all 140 reviews when they removed our story!! :( 

The song in this chapter is 'Special One's by George   

Chapter 1 

**The Search for Ginny**

Grace Evans rushed up the stairs to her dorm room; she had just finished a shift at the campus coffee shop.

"Shit," she said to herself, "I'm going to be late".

In fact she was already twenty-five minutes late for her last class of the day.  She looked at her watch.  If she left now she could make the last twenty minutes of class.  She decided to lay lie down on her bed for 'just for a minute' she promised herself…

~*~

"Grace… Grace… are you in here?" called her roommate Emily.  "Julie said you missed your last class… Grace… helloooo??"

"W W Whhaattt," yawned Grace.  "What time is it?"  She looked over at the clock and said something that would shock the socks off her mother.  "Oh no!  I can't believe I fell asleep, I have to go apologize to the Professor," she mumbled.

"Don't worry, Julie told Mike…, you do remember who your Professor is don't you?… that you weren't feeling well.  You really should slow down a bit Grace, you're working yourself into the ground!" said Emily, her head poking around the door of their bedroom.  "Do you have to work tonight?"

"Yes," sighed Grace.  "Are you going to come and watch?"

"Of course, don't I always?" replied Emily grinning.  "Oh by the way, Adam is going to come.  Is that okay?"

"Of course, you can bring anyone you want!" said Grace hiding a smile so that Emily couldn't see it.  It was widely known that Emily had feelings for Adam.  She would never admit it, but everyone knew.  "Does this look okay?"  Grace had come out of the bathroom wearing a pair of well-worn jeans and a baby pink t-shirt.

"Um, Grace, didn't you wear that to your gig last night?" said Emily tentatively.  A look of annoyance crossed Grace's features.  Emily knew that Grace was touchy about money, and her lack of it, so she quickly added "It looks fine, don't worry…" 

Grace heard her, but her mind had flashed back in time - remembering her first day at Hogwarts.

"Well, well, well.  No point in asking who you are.  Red hair and hand-me-down robes.  You must be a Weasley," drawled Draco Malfoy, her older brother Ron's arch enemy. He liked to rub in how poor they were to their faces. Ginny hardly ever had anything new.  Being the youngest, with six older brothers, everything to do with school was a hand-me-down. 

"I know its not much, but…" Grace started.

"It's fine, really.  But you know, I have heaps of clothes if you want to borrow something.  Anything, feel free, any time.  What are best friends for?" Emily stated happily, cutting off Grace before she could protest too much, whilst rummaging through her side of their shared wardrobe.  "Look.  How about you wear this skirt and umm, how about this top?  We could do your hair, put on a little make up… you'll look great," she said holding up a black knee length skirt and a baby blue, lace camisole.

"I know you hate people helping you," added Emily, "but I think tonight's going to be a special night.  I have a feeling that something important is going to happen… please…  just for me?" she said with pleading eyes.

"But it's freezing outside.  It is winter you know," said Grace.

"Well, put a cloak on then," Emily added quickly.

"But… um... okay," conceded Grace, smiling, "but just this once.  You know I can't say no to that look." 

~*~

Harry Potter rushed through the wizard airport in Sydney, Australia.  He had just come from New York.  He had been to so many places now, he wasn't quite sure if he was coming or going.  Just as well he had a list of everywhere he'd been, and a list of clues he'd found along the way.  He'd been looking for Ginny for almost three years now, and didn't plan on stopping until he found her.

She couldn't hide from him forever.

He looked at his watch.  He still had five minutes to get to the Portkey Desk and he was nearly there.  His Portkey would take him to the wizard apparition point in Melbourne.  That was where he hoped to find Ginny.

He arrived in Melbourne at around six o'clock in the evening, and he still had to find a place to stay.  Not being familiar with the wizarding part of the city yet, he headed to a Muggle hotel.  After he checked in, he headed into Wizard Melbourne.  He needed to find the Owl Post Office (OPO) and send Ron, Hermione, Sirius and Remus a letter, telling them where he was and how he was doing.

Ron and Hermione had become engaged in their seventh year at Hogwarts, and they had wanted to wait until after graduation to get married.  But with the war against Voldemort, then Ginny's disappearance, it put their wedding plans on hold.  They had decided to wait and see if Harry could find Ginny before setting a date.

That was nearly three years ago.  They were already living together in a place of their own, which they had shared with Harry before he went in search of Ginny, but they wanted to get married and make it official.  So after a lot of fights, and even more tears, they set a date.  1st September 2002.  Eleven years since they first met on the Hogwarts Express.  They had told Harry that they would marry on that date regardless of whether he found Ginny or not.

They had started giving up hope of ever finding her.  But if anyone could find her, it would be Harry.

He would return to England for Ron and Hermione's wedding; they had asked him and Ginny to be best man and maid of honour.  He had to find Ginny before the wedding - not only for his sake, but for the whole Weasley family.  Now he only had just over three months left.

He reached the OPO and re-read the letter he'd written earlier, added a quick Post Script and attached the letter to the owl he had paid for and left the OWL post office.

He looked at his watch.  It was seven o'clock.  He decided to wander into Muggle Melbourne to find something for dinner.  Maybe he would look for a pub.  Once he'd had a decent meal he would get some rest and start looking for Ginny tomorrow.  He was so tired after travelling through all the international borders that day, he was practically asleep on his feet.

~*~

At the corner hotel – Richmond 

Grace walked into the pub and saw her band.  Her band.  That gave her a good feeling.  She'd started the band when she first moved to Melbourne.  It was her only escape - whenever anything got too much for her, she would write songs and sing.  She was thinking about this as she started to set up her keyboard and the microphones.

"Hey Grace," Fred shouted, coming through the front door of the pub, "what time do we go on?"

"8ish," said Grace looking at her watch.  Fred was the Double Bass player in the band.  He was also the joker of the group, and you really couldn't get a more different group of people all in one band.  There was Fred the prankster, Phil the quiet, shy one, Shane was the funny one, and Grace.  She was the mysterious one.

Fred, Phil and Shane were best friends.  They had been friends since they were five years old and they did everything together.  Which also included trying to get information out of Grace about her past.

She had written a song about Harry, their relationship and the reasons behind her having to leave.  And the first time they played it to a crowd Grace sang her real name, Ginny, instead of Grace.  Ever since then, the boys took every opportunity possible to try and make her slip up, intrigued to find out what the real story was.

~*~

Harry walked down the street.  He didn't know where he was going, so he decided to let his feet take him where they wanted to go.   Whenever he felt like this, it was best to just follow his instincts.

~*~

A few years earlier… 

_Harry didn't know where he was going.  He had been looking for Ginny for a year now and he was still no nearer to finding her.  He was thinking about the times they had spent together before the war and before she disappeared.  Before he knew it, he had stopped outside a shop he'd never been to before.  But instinct told him to go in_

_He opened the door - a little bell tinkled - he looked around the shop and saw an old lady sitting in a chair behind the counter.  He walked over and was overcome with the urge to ask her about Ginny.  He took a photo of Ginny (the only muggle photo he had of her) out of his pocket, approached the counter and asked the old lady if she had seen her.  Amazingly she said "yes"._

_Harry's heart rate quickened.  'I've found her' he thought._

_"She left about a week ago," said the old lady, dashing his hopes instantly.  "I think she said something about going east.  She was a nice girl.  Did you know her?"_

_Harry's stomach fell to the floor.  Ginny.  His Ginny had been in this very room.  He muttered to himself, then said, "She left a year ago, on my birthday.  I was planning to propose to her the next day and then…"  he stopped.  She didn't know he was a wizard and didn't know about Voldemort.  What could he say?_

_Before he could think of what he _should _say, she said "I know who you are.  She told me all about you and what you did.  Before she left the shop she thanked me for introducing her to the… um… 'Muggle world'.  I don't know what she meant."_

_"Did she tell you where she was going?  I have to find her.  She _is_ my world.  I must find her! Please, can you help me?" he begged._

_"I'm sorry my dear boy, but she would not tell me where she was going, only that she was going east" she said, covering his hand with hers in a comforting gesture._

~*~

That was the first time he'd had this feeling.  He'd felt it once since then, when he was in New York, and he never took it lightly. This 'feeling' or 'instinct' hadn't been wrong yet and he didn't plan on ignoring it now.  It led him down the main road and then stopped him outside a pub.  With only a moments pause he went in.  He couldn't do anything else, he had to follow his instincts.  He just didn't want to be disappointed again…

'Oh well, third time's a charm, right?' he thought to himself.

The pub was smoky and hazy, stinging his eyes.  He went and got a drink at the bar and then made his way to a table in the back corner.  There were people everywhere.  Who should he speak to first?  Something within told him to wait… not to do anything just yet.  So he waited.  He looked around the room searching for her.  A few people caught his eye, but none of them Ginny.

He had been at the pub about half an hour when suddenly the crowd went quiet.  Three men walked onto the stage and the tallest one walked to the microphone and said "Good evening everyone, we're the band BeWITCHing Evil.  We hope you have a good night.  If you want to make a request please just come up and ask.  Now we are proud to present our lead singer and keyboard player Miiiiiiiss Grace Evans!"

A loud burst of applause broke through the quiet and Ginny Weasley stepped onto the stage and into the spotlight.  Harry's heart leapt to his throat.  'Oh my God, I found her.' The thought kept going through his mind again and again and again.

Harry decided to remain as unobtrusive as possible, but he couldn't take his eyes off Ginny.  It was so good to see her again.  He couldn't get over how much she had grown up.  She looked beautiful, statuesque.  He sat there listening to her sing.  Something he hadn't heard for nearly three years.

He couldn't believe how much she had grown up.  Her hair was longer and she had a little makeup on too.  He loved her more than ever.  She was lost in her singing, her hand moving over the keyboard as if she had been doing it her whole life. 

Isn't it funny how you never really screamed at my face

But your anger so unspoken and un-channelled permeates my essence to the point where I

Don't want to see you or hear you, be anywhere near you

You probably think I'm threatened by you but your illusionary power doesn't threaten me

Actually I think it kind of funny how you create the illusion that is mirror

I don't appreciate you and I know that surprises you

I suppose you see that those who follow their hearts always win,

Those with integrity have won the match before it begins

So rather than being kicked around, I'm going to kick you to the curb 

_So rather than being pushed around, I'm going to push you away first_

_So rather than trying to protect you, I'm going to cover my bases first_

_So rather than trying to open my heart, I'm going to lock it with a key_

_So that only the Special Ones, so that only the Special Ones, can ever get through to me_

Some can see beyond the barrier of threshold whereas others can't see

Beyond their sculptured mould.

You could offer me nothing, you could offer me nothing that I need

Do you think I'm asking too much?

A kind of respect and trust that shouldn't even be questioned,

How can I open my heart with dishonesty sitting next to me?

I've honoured your honour to the point of embarrassment,

But innocence in the hands of the guilt-free is kicked to, is kicked to the curb

I was ashamed of my innocence,

I was ashamed of my innocence,

But now with clarity I see that your bullshit is just not worthy of me.

So rather than being kicked around, I'm going to kick you to the curb 

_So rather than being pushed around, I'm going to push you away first_

_So rather than trying to protect you, I'm going to cover my bases first_

_So rather than trying to open my heart, I'm going to lock it with a key_

_So that only the Special Ones, so that only the Special Ones, can ever get through to me_

I don't want to be angry… 

_I don't want to be angry…_

_I don't want to be angry…_

I don't want to be angry,  angry,  ANGRY 

This is not worthy of me but now with clarity I see that I can walk away

I can walk away

So rather than being kicked around, I'm going to kick you to the curb 

_So rather than being pushed around, I'm going to push you away first_

_So rather than trying to protect you, I'm going to cover my bases first_

_So rather than trying to open my heart, I'm going to lock it with a key_

So that only the Special Ones, so that only the Special Ones, can ever get through to me 

Harry listened.  He listened to the words.  He had been so intent on finding her, that it hadn't even occurred to him that maybe she didn't want to be found.  He wasn't sure if all of the song was about him, but he hoped not.  It sounded like it covered a few facets of her past; himself, Voldemort, regret, shame.  But maybe she didn't love him like he loved her.  What would he do then?  She was the only person he loved… _hell_ she was the only person he wanted to love.  He didn't want anyone else.  Just Ginny.

Harry sat and watched the rest of the performance.  It was amazing to watch her interact with the band and her friends.  He had to know where she lived.  Even if he never went there - he had to know.

He waited outside, across the road from the pub, in the dark, where she wouldn't see him.  When he saw her come out he cast a tracking spell on her hair.  She shivered with the contact and turned around.  Harry shrank back deeper into the shadows and waited until she was gone.  Now it was just a matter of following the residual spell.

~*~

At The Burrow 

Ron and Hermione were having breakfast at The Burrow, they tried to spend a day there at least once a month.  Molly and Arthur missed the children when they weren't there.  Only Percy, his wife Penelope and their two year old son Percival Leander Jr. lived with Molly and Arthur now, as they were saving to buy a place of their own.  Everyone called Percy Jr. "Leo" as a nickname because he was born under that star sign.

Ron, Hermione, Molly, Arthur and Percy were sitting around the kitchen table, eating breakfast, when an owl swooped in through the open window with a letter attached to its leg, landing in front of Ron.  He pulled the letter off already knowing whom it was from.

It had been longer than normal since Harry had written; but Ron didn't want anyone to realise how worried he was.  He opened the letter and began to read.

**_Dear Ron & Hermione,_**

****

**_Please say hello to everyone and let them know that I'm okay and doing well.  I have just arrived in Melbourne, Australia.  I'm here because I got some information from a girl, who worked with Ginny in New York, saying that she was thinking of coming to Australia.  I'm confident that I will find her here.  I will let you know when I have more information._**

****

**_How is everyone doing at home?  Please write to me when you have a chance.  I want to hear all about the Twins' shop.  How is Percy doing at the Ministry?  How's baby Leo?  Can you send a photo of him?  When are Charlie and Bill coming home?  Is everyone coming to the wedding?_**

****

**_Hermione - is Molly driving you mad with wedding plans yet?_**

****

Ron snorted when he read this.  He didn't say anything, just passed the letter for Hermione to read.  Ron watched her expression as she read the line he pointed out, and she just shook her head trying not to laugh, and handed the letter back to Ron.

****

**_Please tell me everything.  I feel out of the loop being so far away…_**

****

**_Write soon,_**

**_Love_**

**_Harry_**

PS:  Maybe Hedwig would like a job – can you send her back with your reply?  I haven't seen her in ages!! – Harry

Ron jumped up and walked to the fire in the front room, threw in some floo powder, stuck his head in and called out "Black Manor." 

"Sirius, Remus, are you there?" 

"Ron?  Are you okay?  Is Harry okay?" came Sirius' frantic reply.

"Sirius calm down.  We're all fine.  I just got a letter from Harry.  He's good.  I thought you'd like to read it.  If you want to reply though, give the letter to me and I'll send it with Hedwig when Hermione and I reply."

When Ron returned to the kitchen, everyone else had finished breakfast and left for their respective days.  Hermione was sitting by herself, silently sobbing.  He walked around the table and pulled her into his embrace.  Hermione stopped holding it all in.  She cried openly in Ron's arms.  "How much longer is he going to be, I miss him" she sobbed uncharacteristically.

"I don't know Mione.  He'll be back for the wedding, even if he hasn't found her by then.  He promised.  I'm going to write back to him, to see if I can get him to stop looking.  I know she's my sister and all, but she chose to leave and it's been almost three years Hermione.  He needs some time off.  He deserves a break.  Maybe it's time to let her go."

Ron let out a frustrated sigh.  As much as he loved Ginny, she had no right to do this to Harry.  To any of them.

He remembered their defeat of Voldemort and losing Ginny.  He and Hermione had fought with Harry for days; tears, recriminations, accusations, regret, helplessness - felt by all three of them, before Harry finally gave in and told them what happened.  He told them only on the condition that they let him go and look for her _by himself_.

As he told them what he had witnessed, Ron sat in shocked silence, Hermione in his arms, tears tracking silently down her face.  They decided not to tell the rest of the family the full story until Harry had found Ginny, and brought her home.  Ron only told his family an extremely edited version of the story; one that the three of them had decided upon.

"I'll have more luck on my own.  I want everyone's lives to get back to normal as soon as possible.  Don't worry.  I'll find her and bring her home," Harry had told the Weasleys' before he left.

That was nearly three years ago, and Ron was getting angry.  Not at Harry, but at Ginny for being selfish, for not trusting them to still love her despite what Voldemort had made her do; it wasn't her fault!  If Voldemort were here now, Ron would kill him!  Just as well he was already destroyed…

"It's alright Hermione.  He'll be home for our wedding.  He promised," repeated Ron, hoping to soothe and comfort her.

"I just really miss him Ron.  He's like a brother to me as well as being my best friend," she stated softly.  "I feel like a part of me is missing when he's not here."

"Hey, I'll start getting jealous soon if you're not careful," Ron teased softly in her ear.

"Oh Ron, I love you more than anyone in the whole world," said Hermione turning to face him, "you know that.  But don't you feel … a little lost?  Like after all these years of fighting alongside each other, protecting each other since our first year at Hogwarts, it feels strange not to have him around every day.  Don't you agree?"

"Yeah.  I miss him _and _I want Ginny back too.  The family's not the same without all the pieces of the family puzzle.  And you're right.  Harry is one of those missing pieces, just as much as Ginny is," replied Ron.  "He'll find her Hermione, I just know it."


	2. Nightmares

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Authors Notes:** Here is Chapter 2 Again… Hope you all enjoy it!! :) 

_____________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 2

Nightmares 

Harry tossed restlessly in his sleep, he hadn't slept well since Ginny left…

_It was a warm sunny day and Harry was on his way to the Weasley's house.  He'd received a letter from Mrs Weasley asking him to join the family, Sirius, Remus and Professor Dumbledore to celebrate his 18th birthday, and he was running late._

_He hadn't arrived home until the early hours of the morning, after a particularly nasty encounter with Death Eaters.  They had attacked as Harry's unit had carried out a search of an abandoned property that they had a lead on. _

_It turned out to be a trap.  Soon after they got there the place suddenly swarmed with Death Eaters. Curses were flying; they lost two Aurors, but captured five Death Eaters.  Harry had spent most of the night at St. Mungo's having his leg repaired after an Expelliarmus curse had thrown him into a wall and broken his leg on impact.  It should have only taken the Mediwitch a few minutes to fix, but there had been more critical injuries to attend to first. _

****

_This was the fifth attack this week.  Harry had been fighting with the Auror branch of the Order of the Phoenix since he had left school last year and, although he had been involved in most of the main raids, there had still been no sign of Voldemort. The Mediwitch had finally released him around 5.00am._

_On arriving home he'd fallen straight into bed and slept until around 11.00am.  He was supposed arrive at the Weasley's by 10.00am, so now he was late._

_Harry Apparated to the front door of The Burrow, walked into the kitchen where everyone was and said a little sheepishly, "Hello, sorry I'm late." _

_"Are you okay?  We were starting to get worried," said Sirius pulling him into a hug._

_"Yeah, I'm fine.  There was an ambush last night.  We lost two Aurors, but captured five Death Eaters.  I ended up in St. Mungo's till 5.00am this morning.  I slept in," explained Harry. _

_"Have you seen Ginny this morning? Mrs Weasley asked Harry.  "She said something about going to see you this morning.  We were expecting her to arrive with you."_

_"She hasn't been to my place, I thought she'd be here" replied Harry as an eagle hawk swooped in and presented a letter to Harry. _

_Harry looked at the envelope.  It was black and sealed with the green seal of theDark Mark.  He broke the seal and took out the parchment, everyone watching with trepidation._

**_Like four times past, we meet again,_**

**_As before she needs a friend. _**

**_I can bend her to my will, _**

**_Can you save her before she's killed?_**

****

****

**_To find me you have to go back to the start,_**

Which is where you last saw me - of which I'm a part.

**_So hurry up quickly, there's no time to waste,_**

**_Making me wait Potter, is in really poor taste._**

_"Ginny" Harry muttered to himself.  He had to read Voldemort's riddle again before he figured out the clue.  The letter fell from his hands.  Before it hit the ground, Harry had already Disapparated to Little Hangleton, where Voldemort and Ginny were waiting. _

"Ginny!" Harry yelled as he arrived with a 'pop'.  He looked around frantically trying to see where Voldemort was holding her.  What he didn't expect to see, however, was Ginny standing over Neville Longbottom.  Neville was writhing in pain and with sickening realisation Harry realized that it was Ginny casting the Cruciatus Curse.  He knew at once that she was under the Imperious Curse.  He had seen that look too many times before.  No normal person looked that calm whilst casting an Unforgivable curse.

_"Ginny, you have to fight it!  Question what he is asking you to do.  Please!" Harry called out to her desperately._

_He looked over to where Voldemort was standing, off to one side, laughing, "She can't hear you, she can only hear me.  Ginny, kill him."_

_He looked to Ginny again and heard her say, "Avada Kedavra!"_

_"Nooooo!!!!!" shouted Harry._

_Voldemort took the curse off Ginny, as Neville lay completely still on the ground in front of her._

_She stood frozen, looking down at Neville, then her glance swept across to Voldemort and then to Harry.  She looked down at Neville again, the realisation of what she had done spreading across her face._

_"I'm sorry," was all Harry heard before she Disapparated._

_"Now what are you going to do Potter?" Voldemort snarled, as Harry stood there with his wand trained on Voldemort._

_"This is where it ends," came the calm voice of Albus Dumbledore, somewhere behind Harry._

_"Are you okay Harry?" came the frantic voice of Hermione._

_Just then Ron stepped up close and whispered into Harry's ear "On Dumbledore's count… Avada Kedavra.. okay?"_

_Harry could only nod…_

_"Three…" everyone closed ranks around Harry, forming a tightly knit group._

_"Two…" wands were held steady, pointed at Voldemort._

_"One" came Dumbledore's calm voice._

_"AVADA KEDAVRA!!!"_

_Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Remus, Sirius, Arthur, Charlie, Bill, Percy, Fred, Angelina, George and Katie all shouted the Unforgivable Curse at the same instant, with more force then even they thought possible.  The magic from each wand shot out individually and then all the single beams of the curse intermingled, joined, become one and continued on its course to the target, a curse made even more powerful because of the combined magic of fourteen wizards._

_   
The beam hit Voldemort in the chest, his arms fell to his side and his head fell back.  It looked like someone was holding him up by an invisible thread coming out of his chest.  A bright light broke through his centre.  Soon the light became so bright that they had to look away, their hands and arms shielding their eyes from the glare.  When they turned back, all that remained was a hand, ashes and blood._

_No one dared move.  They stood there in shock for what felt like eternity.  Harry was the first to come to his senses; he shook his head and Disapparated back to the Burrow. _

_"Harry… Harry are you okay?  What happened?" came Molly Weasley's frantic questions._

_"Ginny…" was all Harry could get out._

_"She Apparated in, saw us, then Disapparated.  Why?  What happened to her?" Molly asked._

Harry sat bolt upright in bed, gasping for air.  That was where it had started.  He had been having the same dream ever since. 

~*~

Emily woke to the now familiar sound of one of Grace's nightmares.  They had started about a week after she had moved in.  Emily went over and sat on her bed, held her hand, and watched over her.

It always started with Grace tossing and turning in her sleep, muttering unintelligibly.  As the nightmare progressed Grace thrashed around, disturbing her bed sheets, whimpering in her sleep.  She said the same things each time - "No… no.. please no.. not Harry.." and "I'll never do what you want Tom" then just before she woke up she always said "I'm sorry" then sat up gasping for air.  Tonight looked to be no different

"No… no... please no... not Harry..." moaned Grace.

"I'll never do what you want Tom…" Grace spat.

Emily thought that Grace looked scary when she said that.  As usual Grace's expression went from rage to peaceful and calm in almost an instant.

After about five minutes Grace's face contorted into fury then … it looked like guilt, she then quietly whispered "I'm sorry" and sat bolt upright in bed gasping for air.

"It's okay Gracie, you're safe here" Emily whispered softly, pulling the now sobbing Grace into her arms.  "What happened?" Emily asked.  She never got an answer, but she always cared enough to ask. Grace was crying harder now.

"I can't tell you," Grace sobbed.  "I want to... but I can't... maybe one day," said Grace as she collapsed,  face down into her pillow.  She was still crying, but Emily knew that the conversation was over.  She went back to her own bed and lay down.  'One day I'll get her to open up.  I'll write to mum and see what she thinks,' thought Emily to herself.

Once Grace was asleep again, Emily crept out into their living room and sat at the student desk they used, which was where they both did their homework and stuff for school, and started to write.

**_Dear Mum,_**

****

**_Sorry I haven't written for awhile.  I was wondering if I could bring a friend, from school, home for the weekend.  She's a muggle and doesn't know anything about our world, so we would have to cover up most traces of magic.  I want your opinion on something though.  She gets really bad nightmares.  Sometimes every night and other times weekly._**

****

**_She has no family in Australia and I want to try and make her feel at home.  She won't confide to me what the dreams are about, but I can tell she wants to tell someone.  I have been thinking about telling her our secret.  From what I can tell I don't think she would freak out about it._**

****

**_Please, can you let me know if this is okay - as soon as possible?_**

****

**_Love always_**

Emily 

She rolled up her parchment, put away her quill and hid the letter in her school bag.  She would pop over to the OPO super early before school and send it off to her mum.  In the meantime, she really needed to get back to sleep.

If only Grace knew she was a witch, she would be able to keep her owl, Sandy, in their dormitory and not have to pay for owl post.

~*~

Harry rolled over again.  He had been tossing and turning since the nightmare had woken him up.  He reached over and looked at the bedside clock.  It read 5.00am.  He decided to get up since he couldn't sleep.  After he showered and dressed in muggle clothes, he went downstairs to see if the kitchen was open for breakfast.  He walked to the dining room and saw a sign saying 

**_Breakfast will be served between _**

**_6.00am – 10.30am_**

**_Thank you_**

'This is not going to be my day' he thought, walking back to his room.  He pulled out his wand and cast the spell to track where Ginny was.  He checked his watch - it was now 5.30am.  He Disapparated to outside where Ginny lived.

He didn't expect to see anyone around so early but no sooner had he arrived when he saw a girl come out of the building.  Harry quickly looked around for somewhere to hide, ducking into the dark alcove of the nearest doorway.  The girl looked familiar.  He'd seen her before, maybe she was at the pub last night.  The girl walked around to the dark side of the building and Apparated.  Harry was taken aback.  He didn't expect to see a witch in the Muggle world, let alone one that he was pretty sure knew Ginny.

He looked up at all the windows and his eyes landed on the third window from the left on the fourth floor. He knew it was Ginny's.

~*~

Emily got up early.  She hated early mornings.  It was 5.00am, but she had to get to the OPO before Grace realized that she was gone.  It had taken her thirty minutes to get ready, then she quickly headed out of the dorm room and left the building.  She checked her surroundings, which she always did when she was about to do magic in the muggle world.  It felt like someone was watching her, so she walked around to the darkest side of the building, checked that she had the letter, pulled out her wand and Apparated. 

She arrived with a 'pop' outside of the OPO, walked in and was greeted with "Hello Emily" by old Mr Williams.

"Good morning Mr Williams.  Can I have an express owl to Mum please?" she asked.

"Yes, of course dear. That will be five sickles.  Thanks Emily," he replied.

"Have a good day, Mr Williams," she said.

She attached the letter to the owl's leg.  "Hurry back," she told the owl.

She pulled out her wand and Disapparated back to the dark alley beside the dorms, went inside and up to her room.   

~*~

Grace woke suddenly.  She heard a noise and she rolled over to see Emily fumbling around in her bedside table.

"Morning" Grace yawned.

"Good morning, how are you feeling?" Emily asked.

"Good, why are you up so early?" Grace asked.

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd get a heads up on my homework.  I'm thinking of going to see Mum this weekend," Emily said.  "Do you want to come?"

"We have a gig on Sunday night, sorry" Grace replied.

"If Mum say's its okay, we could go this afternoon and come back Sunday afternoon before your gig," Emily said.  "If you want to that is."

"I'd love to, you know that," Grace said.  "If she says okay, that would be nice.  I haven't been anywhere since I arrived in Australia"

"Okay, I'll call Mum and let you know at lunch" Emily replied.

"Okay, see you then" smiled Grace, snuggling back under the covers again.

~*~

Anne Fletcher was making breakfast when an express owl came through the window and presented her with a letter, waiting for a reply.

Anne read the letter, smiling at the daily challenge that Emily had of not being totally truthful with the people around her.  If Emily thought it her friend would be okay about knowing they were witches, then who was she to argue.  She knew Emily felt bad for having to lie to everyone about what she was, and maybe her friend would be able to confide in Emily in return.  She wrote a reply for the owl immediately.

**_Dear Emily,_**

****

**_It's good to hear from you.  I'm glad you're coming home for the weekend.  You know how much I miss you when you're at school, especially in the muggle world.  I'd be happy for you to bring your friend with you for the weekend, it will be good to have children in the house again._**

****

**_I wouldn't tell her anything about us though until she gets here.  Then we can explain together.  I will hide the most obvious signs of magic before 12.00pm, so try not to get here before then.  _**

****

**_Have a good day at school_**

****

**_Love always_**

**_Mum_**

****

Anne spent the rest of the morning putting freezing charms on the photos and concealment charms on the more obvious forms of magic.

It took her most of the morning to set up the charms and spare room.  As she sat down to have a cup of tea she noticed the front page of the Wizard Times on the table. She picked up the paper, and noticed another article for a missing witch.

Has anyone seen this Witch? By Rose Skeeter 

English witch, Virginia (Ginny) Weasley pictured below, has been missing since the day of You-Know-Who's defeat nearly three years ago.  She went missing after escaping from You-Know-Who.  You-Know-Who sent Harry Potter a riddle to tell him where she was in the hope of luring Harry to him.  It certainly worked.

However, what You-Know-Who didn't expect was for the whole Weasley clan, with family friends Remus Lupin, Sirius Black (Harry's Godfather, now cleared of all previous charges) and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Dumbledore, to show up moments after young Ginny Disapparated.  You-Know-Who was defeated that night.

The Weasley's and Harry's family didn't celebrate, though,  as their only daughter, sister, student and girlfriend disappeared.  Her boyfriend, Harry Potter, has been looking for her ever since. 

As you may have noticed, we have been running this story every three months since she went missing, at Harry Potter's request.  If you have any information on the location of Miss Ginny Weasley please contact the Wizard Times as soon as possible.

Anne had read this article before, each time it was published.  She felt connected to Harry.  His father would have done the same for her best friend, Lily.

"Hello?  Muuuuuuum!" called Emily.

"In the kitchen Em," replied Anne.

"Mum, this is Grace Evans. Grace this is my Mum, Anne."

Anne looked at Grace closely, recognition and excitement showing on her face.  Grace stood watching Anne, inexplicably nervous and scared, though she couldn't explain why.  The reason became apparent all too soon.

"Ginny?  Ginny Weasley?" Anne asked.


	3. Secrets Revealed

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Authors Notes:** Here is Chapter 3… Again… Please review!! Go on you know you want to!!! :) 

__________________________________________________________________

Chapter 3 

**Secrets Revealed**

~*~

"Ginny… before you do anything, please hear me out, I have some important things to say, to both of you," said Anne, looking from Ginny to Emily.  "Come into the kitchen and sit down.  Please," said Anne summoning three cups and a pot of tea.  "This could take a while."

All Ginny could do was nod mutely.  She was in shock.  After three years of hiding from the wizarding world, living as a muggle, she had been befriended - by a witch.

Emily looked like she was going to say something, but Anne shot her a look that shut her up instantly.  Emily knew that look.  It was a 'don't interrupt me' look.

"First of all, it is so good to meet you Ginny.  I've been reading all about you for the past three years" said Anne.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked nervously.

"Here, you should probably read this first." Anne said handing Ginny the Wizard Times.

Ginny read the article, her eyes opening wider with each line.  A single tear escaped her eye.  "Harry" she whispered.

"I think the only place for me to start is at the beginning," said Anne.  She poured them each a cup of tea and the girls got settled to hear what she had to say.

"I attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  My best friend was Lily Evans," she paused to let this information sink in.  "I met her on the Hogwarts Express, I saved her from Sirius Black" she said shaking her head with a smile.

"He was planning on using her for his first prank, he was going to…." Anne paused a moment, smiling at the memory.  "Sorry.  Seeing you, Ginny, is triggering a lot of fond memories, but I won't bore you with the details though.  Anyway, we formed a friendship from that day on.  We were as close as the Marauders.  I was the maid of honour at James and Lily's wedding. 

"A year after Lily was married she fell pregnant.  She asked me to be Godmother and I said yes straight away.  I love kids and was delighted to be given the honour.  As you probably know Sirius Black was asked to be Harry's Godfather and guardian if anything were to happen to 

them. 

"I got married just before Harry was born, and fell pregnant about three months later.  Trevor, Emily's dad, was killed about two months before Em was born. 

"I gave birth to Emily about a week before Voldemort killed Lily and James.  Remus looked after us, but he was worried about the fallout from Voldemort being destroyed, by his followers, and he wanted me to be safe.  He talked me into moving to Australia and going into hiding.  He... he was our Secret Keeper.  There was still the threat of one of Voldemort's Death Eaters coming and finding us.  We were an easy target, partly because I had a newborn, and Death Eaters love causing misery, but it was also because I was Harry's Godmother, and they might have wanted to extract some measure of revenge.

 "I moved to Australia and lived as a Muggle for five years, until it was clear that Voldemort was not coming back and the Death Eaters did not know where I was. 

"I started teaching at a local primary school, which Emily attended.  However, once Emily received her letter from the Melbourne Academy of Magic (MAM) I knew I had to tell her the whole story, and about Voldemort too.  She was bound to find out about it from the kids at school.  I told her what happened, omitting certain details for her protection.

"I have been following the stories in the paper about what happened the night that Voldemort was defeated, again…."

"What do you mean again?" interrupted Ginny, and before Anne could respond she went on, "Is he dead?  What happened?  How?  When?  By who?"

"From what I can tell, it happened just after you left.  Your family, Sirius, Remus and Professor Dumbledore arrived and, combined with Harry, cast the Killing Curse, which destroyed him.  The only thing left of him was a hand, bone ashes and some blood.

"Harry has been looking for you ever since.  Every three months there is a story in paper asking if anyone has seen you.  Apparently he has every major wizarding paper in the world looking for you!" concluded Anne.

"I can't believe it," Ginny began, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.  "I've been running from my past for three years.  I haven't had any contact with the magical community at all and now I finally allow myself to make a friend, someone I felt really close to only to discover that she's a witch, and not just any witch, but one who has ties to Harry!" her voice raising several octaves.  She had to stop talking and take a breath, because she could feel herself getting hysterical.

"I'm sorry for not telling you I was a witch sooner Gracie, or is it Ginny now?" said Emily, a little confusedly, "I wrote to Mum to ask her if I could bring you home and tell you the truth.  But it seems that you were keeping things from me too, about who you really were," said Emily in a soothing voice, pulling Ginny to her in a hug.

"Ginny," interrupted Anne gently.  "I know this is a lot to take in right now, but do you think you could tell us what made you leave?"

"I… I… don't know where to start.  It was awful and I'm so ashamed of what I did."  Ginny took a deep breath and faced them both.

"I was on my way to see Harry for his birthday.  I… I wanted to surprise him with breakfast in bed," she quietly, whilst wiping the tears from her eyes as they continued to slide silently down her grief stricken face. 

"Here you go dear" said Anne, handing her a tissue, whilst Emily gently rubbed her back, smiling at Ginny to go on.

"I had to stop at the bakery to get some fresh bread.  Knowing Harry and Ron, if they had any at all, it would probably have been stale," she said with a small laugh.  "It was such a nice morning that I decided to walk to Harry's from the bakery.  It was only a few streets away.  I took a short cut through a quiet alley and… that's where they got me.  I was put under a full body bind curse and they used a Portkey to take me to where Voldemort was.  Naturally, I refused to cooperate, so he put me under the Imperius Curse.

"Voldemort ordered me to cast the Cruciatus Curse.  I did so without question.  I couldn't hear anyone else but him.  It was like I was in a sound proof bubble.  I could only hear Voldemort, and then I heard, very faintly, this other voice calling to me.  I tried to answer, but my brain just wouldn't form the words out loud.  The next thing I remember is coming out of the Imperious Curse, and seeing Neville Longbottom, a friend of Harry's and mine from school, in front of me on the ground.  He was dead."  Ginny held her arms around herself tightly rocking back and forth, ignoring the fresh tears that came with the painful memory.

"I realized then that I had done it.  I looked up to see Voldemort laughing and there was someone else off to one side.  My heart was in my throat when I realized it was Harry.  The look in his eye told me that he had seen everything.  I had to get out of there.  I vaguely remember mumbling 'I'm sorry'.

"I Disapparated home forgetting that the party for Harry was being held there.  I saw Mum and Penelope,  I looked back and forth between them, I think mum asked me something… I don't remember what.  What could I do?" she asked, looking at Anne and Emily.  "They would have been ashamed of what I had done.  I Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, went straight to Gringotts and withdrew all my savings, changed it into Muggle money and left.  I couldn't face anyone," she said breaking down into tears.

"This may sound like nothing now," said Anne, trying to console Ginny, "but you did nothing wrong!  You were under the Imperius Curse!  There was nothing you could do about it.  Very few people can fight off that curse."

"But I killed him!  I could see the terror in his eyes" said Ginny with a shudder.

"Ginny, you need to remember it was not your fault.  _No one_ blames you for it" said Anne pulling Ginny into a motherly hug.  They stayed like that until Ginny's sobs had slowed and her breathing had returned to normal.

"Do you still love him?" asked Anne gently.

Ginny glanced up at Anne, her heart skipping a beat.  "Yes.  I've never stopped loving Harry.  How could I?  He's Harry.  But my heart aches all the time.  The smallest things remind me of him.  I put on a brave face when I'm at school, with the band, around friends… but when I'm alone…" Ginny paused, the silence deafening, "my heart has been slowly breaking since the day I left," said Ginny.

"I won't say I know how you feel, but I'm sure Harry does," consoled Anne.  "Do you want to lie down?  It's been a long day.  Ginny, you are more than welcome to stay here as long as you want.  No pressure to contact the papers, Harry, anyone.  We won't tell anyone that you're here."

"Are you sure it's okay?  I would love to lie down.  Thank you" said Ginny, looking more than a little wrung out after telling her story, for the first time in three years.

"Emily, can you show Ginny to her room please?"

"No problem Mum!  This way Ginny," said Emily getting up.

Anne gave Emily a 'we need to talk' look, before Emily disappeared into the spare room.  Anne stood up and stretched.  "Well, I might as well start taking the charms down now that Ginny knows the truth.  She might like to be re-introduced to the wizarding world."

~*~

Harry had been sitting in the same spot all morning.  He'd retrieved his dad's Invisibility Cloak from his bags.  He felt it was time to use it again.  He was positioned on the rooftop across from Ginny's dorm building.  He only left the deserted roof to get some coffee and sandwiches from the shop across the road.

Ginny and Emily had finally met outside their building to go to lunch in the café a few doors down the road.  They returned to the dorm rooms for about an hour.  When they came out they were carrying overnight bags, Harry watched them leave.  He followed them to the train station, and then watched as the train pulled out.  He could find Ginny with his tracking charm, so he returned to his hotel room and waited till they got where they were going and Apparated, with his Invisibility Cloak, to somewhere close by.

He waited all Friday afternoon.  It was a nice area; country, away from the hustle and bustle of the local town.  'A perfect place to be a witch without getting found out', he thought to himself.  He wondered what was going on inside, but didn't dare move closer.  He didn't want to risk being seen.

Emily and Ginny finally left on Sunday morning.  It had been tedious for Harry, but he wasn't about to give up now.  Once the girls had left to return to the city, he checked his surroundings, took off the Invisibility Cloak, opened the gate and walked down the path to the front door of Anne's house.  He stood there for a few seconds, nervous.  He hoped he was doing the right thing.  He took a deep breath, raised his hand and knocked on the door.

The door opened and for a moment neither Anne nor Harry said anything.  Harry because he was still thinking what he should say and Anne because she was just speechless.

"Hi, I know you don't know me.  My name is Harry. Harry Potter…." Harry began.

"I know who you are," began Anne tentatively.  "But you're pretty much the last person I expected to see on my doorstep.  I'm very pleased to meet you Harry.  Come in."

Anne showed Harry into the kitchen, conjured up fresh cups and a pot of tea.  "Have a seat Harry.  Please, make yourself at home."

"Thanks Mrs…" he began.

"Fletcher, but please call me Anne," she replied.

"Thank you, Anne" he said trying out the name. They both sat there in awkward silence for a moment before Harry said, "Thanks for having Ginny for the weekend, I think she needs all the friends she can get." 

"How did you know she was here" asked Anne.

"I've been following her for the past few days, and she lead me here" replied Harry.

"So you know who we are?" asked Anne.

"I know you're witches yes, I jus… I… I don't want to cause any trouble, but please, I don't want Ginny to know I'm here just yet," said Harry bowing his head and taking a sip of tea.

"Okay.  Do you mind me asking why?  You've been looking for her for so long.  Why wait?" asked Anne.

"When I first found her she was singing with a band in a pub near where she and Emily go to school," explained Harry.  "I saw her walk out on stage, and I was just frozen in shock.  Mesmerised might be a better word.  I just wanted to run up and …. well, you can probably guess... anyway," he rushed on, "I don't know why but I decided to just sit and watch her."

"I sat right up the back, where she couldn't see me, listened to the first song she sang – and realised that maybe she didn't want to be found.  Maybe she didn't love me anymore.  At least not the way I love her" said Harry quietly.

"I know she still loves you," replied Anne.

"Really?" asked Harry, glancing quickly up at Anne, hope shining in eyes for the first time in a long time.  "Good," Harry added quietly looking down at his tea.  He was a little uncomfortable talking about something so personal with a complete stranger, but he'd come this far.  There was no time for games and guesses.  "Is she happy?" asked Harry.

"Not really, she puts on a good act though.  She looks happy most of the time, but when she thinks no one is looking you can see how sad she really is." said Anne.

"How long have you known her?" asked Harry.

"I met her for the first time on Friday, but Emily has known her for about six months now I think" said Anne watching Harry closely.

"I know you don't know me at all, but I was wondering if you would help me?"  Harry asked looking right into Anne's eyes.  "Ginny's brother, Ron, is getting married on the first of September.  I promised her family I would find her and bring her home, not just for the wedding, but also because her family love her and want her back with them.  No one expects me to find her, in time anyway.  I've already decided not to tell them anything until she agrees to come home with me.  But now that I've found her… well it would mean the world to Ron and Hermione, not to mention her family," finished Harry, looking hopeful for the first time in three years.

"Of course I'll help you.  You are so much like your father… Okay, so we have a little over three months to help her come to terms with her past," said Anne looking determined.

"Yes, wait… what do you mean I'm so much like my father, did you know him?" asked Harry realising what Anne had just said, wondering what her connection was with his Dad.

"I think I should start at the beginning………" it took over an hour for Anne to explain the story to Harry.

~*~

Sirius threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace, called out 'The Burrow' and stuck his head into the fire.  "Molly, Arthur?  Is anyone home?" he called.

"Sirius, its good to see you, come on over" said Molly.

"Okay, I'll be there in a sec," replied Sirius.

Sirius stepped into the fireplace and threw down more floo powder and called 'The Burrow' again, and in no time at all he came flying out of the fireplace at The Burrow.

"Hello Molly, how are you?" Sirius asked lying on their floor covered in soot.

"I'm well, how have you been?" replied Molly brushing soot off Sirius' clothes.  "You're almost as bad as my lot," she said smiling.  "Why didn't you just Apparate in?"

"Thanks, I'm well and I just felt like a change," Sirius laughed, answering all her questions in order.  "Haven't travelled by floo powder for a while, although I've always got some on hand just in case.  Do you have plans to see Ron or Hermione in the next few days?" asked Sirius.

"They should be here in about an hour" said Molly looking at her watch "Why?"

"Can you give them this" he said handing her a sealed letter.  
  


"Sure.  Why don't you stay for dinner?  There's plenty to go around" said Molly smiling at Sirius in her usual motherly way.

"I can't, I'm sorry.  I have to get going.  Tell Ron I'll be in contact," said Sirius heading for the fireplace.  "The letter explains everything," he said as he threw a pinch of floo power into the fire again and stepped into the flames.

"Black Manor" he called and then he was gone.

Molly shook her head wondering what was going on.  She didn't have to wait long as there were four separate 'pops' around the room.   Molly turned around to see Arthur, Percy, Ron and Hermione in a heap on the floor.  "Do I want to know?" she asked.

"Gerroff" said Ron from the bottom of the pile.

"Percy, would you help me up" asked Arthur.

"Sorry Hermione, Ron" said Arthur helping them up, "I think we should all have different apparition points so that this doesn't happen again" he said shaking his head.

"Sirius dropped this off for you Ron," Molly said handing him a letter.  "He said he'd be in contact, and that the letter explains everything."

"Thanks Mum" he replied turning over the letter and breaking the seal.

**_Dear Ron, Hermione and family,_**

****

**_I'm sorry I couldn't do this in person, but by the time you read this I will be on my way to Australia.  I have no way of explaining why I am going except I have been getting a feeling from Harry, since his last letter came, that he needs some support over there._**

****

**_I will be back with him before your wedding.  Hopefully with Ginny.  I will owl you when I get there._**

****

**_Love _**

**_Sirius_**

****

"I wonder why he didn't tell us that he was going," queried Hermione.

"Probably because he knew we would insist on going with him" said Ron.

~*~

Sirius ran for the portkey desk at Kings Cross Station.  He had a booking for the six fifteen portkey to Melbourne, Australia.  He was nearly at the desk when he thought he heard his name called.  He turned around to see Remus standing there.

"I know you won't let me come with you, but let me help you.  When you get there, go to this address," he said shoving a screwed up piece of paper into Sirius' hand.  "This is an address of an old friend.  She'll help you.  Now go or you'll be late" said Remus, pulling Sirius into a fierce, quick hug. "Good luck, and bring them both back home, safely."

"Thank you," replied Sirius gruffly, "take care Moony.  I'll be home with them soon."****

"Now go" said Remus.

"I'll owl you when I get there" he called as he ran for the desk.

"Sirius Black.  Six fifteen to Melbourne, Australia" he said handing the attendant his paperwork and passport.

"Thank you, go down the hall and it's the third door to your left.  There will be a old shoe in the room.  Have a nice trip" said the attendant.

He followed her directions and found the room with the shoe.  There were three other people waiting.  He walked over and put his hand on the portkey and a few seconds later Sirius felt the familiar pull behind his navel and then they were gone.

~*~

Harry awoke to the now familiar smell of a home cooked breakfast.  He had been staying with Anne for a few days now.  She had told him all sorts of stories from her time with his parents at Hogwarts, and she had given him copies of photos of everyone from their school days.

He got up, had a shower, got dressed and went into the kitchen, when he was at the door he heard laughing.  Wondering who was visiting, he opened the door and went in.

"Harry?" Sirius said.


	4. Discoveries

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Authors Notes: Here is the next one!! :) Keep up the reviews!! - Rhiain

________________________________________________________________

Chapter 4

Discoveries 

~*~

Friday morning… 

Harry sat down at the kitchen table between his two Godparents.  Sirius had arrived a few days ago.  Once he had gotten over the initial shock of him being there, Harry had thrown himself into Sirius' open arms, secretly grateful and relieved to see him again.

Apparently Remus had given him the address of an 'old friend', someone Sirius thought Remus had met whilst Sirius had been in Azkaban.  But when Anne opened the door… well, it was amazing that he hadn't woken Harry.  Sirius had only been there about half an hour when Harry made an appearance.  They spent the rest of the day talking, Anne telling them about her life, Sirius told Anne about Azkaban and how he had escaped, and Harry told them both about the Dursley's and his adventures at Hogwarts.  You can imagine the look on Anne's face when Harry spoke about life with the Dursley's.  Sirius and the Weasley's knew how bad they were, but not many people could believe how awful they really were, not to mention how different they were to Lily and James.

For Sirius and Harry to sit down and have this sort of conversation though, was quite liberating for Harry.  What with Sirius in Azkaban, Harry at Hogwarts and a war to fight, they'd never really had the time to get to know about each other's lives.  Harry was really grateful of this time with Sirius.

Harry and Anne also brought Sirius up to speed regarding the search for Ginny.  Sirius' eyes bulged when Harry told him that he had found her.  After some discussion, they decided that they would go to one of Ginny's gigs and in the meantime, speak to Emily to see if she could work on Ginny.  The gig was tonight.

Harry walked down the stairs heading to breakfast, thinking about yesterday morning and the letter Ron and Hermione had sent with Hedwig.  She had flown through the open kitchen window and presented Harry with a letter.  "Hedwig, it's so good to see you," he had exclaimed, delighted to see his devoted pet and friend again.  "Here, I'm sure you could use a few owl treats, a drink and then a nice long nap.  Stay with me at least until I reply to this letter, okay?"  Hedwig, had flown onto Harry's shoulder, nuzzling his ear affectionately, before flying off to where Ruby, the family owl, sat, on the other side of the kitchen having breakfast herself.

He looked down at the letter Hedwig had delivered to him and re-read it. **__**

**_Dear Harry,_**

****

**_We hope this letter finds you well.  Everyone here is worried about you and we hope you come home soon.  How is the search going?    
  
_**

**_In answer to your questions, here goes… the twins' shop is going great.  They have come up with a new line of new tricks and pranks, and quite frankly, in my opinion, some of them are frightfully dangerous._**

****

I heard they're opening another shop in Hogsmeade.  I'll have to remember to warn them not to sell anything too dangerous to the students.  Oh well, at least if they do, I'll know where to get the counter curse from…

****

Little Leo is gorgeous!  He has just started to walk.  He just needs to learn to bend his little knees!!  He is sooo cute.  He takes three or four steps then falls over looking around to see if anyone has seen him, when he sees someone he starts applauding himself.  He is also trying to talk.  He makes noises that sound a bit like 'bub' and 'da da'.  You can imagine how proud Percy and Penelope are.  I have included a photo of him that was taken at the last family Quidditch match.

Harry looked at the photo they had sent and smiled, it was full of red heads… the whole family was there smiling at him

****

Yes, everyone is coming to the wedding.  Bill and Charlie should be here around mid July.  They have decided to come early so they have a bit of a holiday whilst they're here.  Molly hasn't been too bad.  Now that it's getting close I go around there every weekend and we spend it planning.  I think Ron is getting a little annoyed at having to give up his weekends to planning instead of playing Quidditch…

****

**_Hogwarts is great!  Professor Flitwick thinks I will be ready to start teaching by myself next school year, and I can't wait!!  I will start with first and second years… I love having Remus here.  He's really helpful.  Whenever I'm having a hard day or having trouble with a way to teach a charm, he always finds time to help.  _**

****

Ron is doing great.  He has just been promoted again - from Field Auror into the Strategy Department.  What with Quidditch, chess and everything that we've done, planning future raids will be no problem.

**_Harry… when will you be home?  We miss you.  I miss you sooo much… Promise me if you haven't found her by the wedding you will stop looking.  I know you love her, and we all miss her too, but you are missing out on living your life.  Come home.  We want you back here. _**

****

Please… 

****

**_Love Always_**

**_Hermione & Ron_**

**_xoxo_**

****

Harry walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table pensively, thinking about Hermione and Ron.  How he missed them… everyone… 

"What ya reading kiddo?" asked Sirius talking with a mouthful of toast. ****

"Just the letter Hermione sent yesterday.  My regular update from home, they sound good," replied Harry with a smile.  "I forgot to show you yesterday.  Do you want to have a look?" he said handing the letter to Sirius.

"What would you like for breakfast Harry?" asked Anne from the other side of the table.

"Just some toast, please" he replied.

"Are you sure you don't want something more?"  She was regarding him with concerned, motherly eyes.  Harry shook his head.  "Okay, here you go" she said magicking him over a plate with two bits of toast, some eggs and bacon… for good measure. 

"Bu.." he didn't get to finish protesting before Anne interrupted.

"You're a growing boy, you need to eat more…" said Anne going into mother mode.  She looked at Sirius who was sniggering and said, "and you," she shot Sirius a firm look, "you're much too skinny too!"

"What time is the gig tonight?" asked Sirius in a not too subtle attempt to change the subject.  "And since when does Ginny sing?  I didn't even know she _could_ sing."

"She's been singing for a long time.  Just never told anyone, except me," explained Harry, with a secret smile on his face.  It always made him feel special that he was the only one who knew her secret.  He'd wanted to tell her family on many occasions, but Ginny had never been ready to be that vulnerable with her family, especially with the daunting prospect of having to put up with endless teasing from her older brothers.  Ron would have been really proud, as would Percy, but the other four would never have been able to resist the temptation to mercilessly tease her, and so she'd never told them.

"Anyway," said Harry shaking himself out of his reverie, "the band will be on stage about ten o'clock, but we should get there at 9.30ish to be sure…" said Harry, "it's a popular pub.

Now that he knew that Ginny still loved him, he was feeling nervous.  He didn't know if he could go tonight and _not _go and confront her.  He knew from what Anne had told him of her conversation with Ginny, that she didn't think Ginny was ready, that Emily needed to talk to her first.  But he hated having to wait.  What if Emily told Ginny that he was here, accidentally, and she ran again.  What would he do then?

"Hello!  Earth to Harry?" said Sirius elbowing Harry in the side.  "What do you plan on doing today?" he asked.

"I was thinking about going into Muggle Melbourne, just to wander a bit.  What are you two up to?" he replied.

"Well, I was wondering if I could tag along, actually?" asked Sirius.

"Sure," said Harry.  "What about you Anne?"

"I have to go to work today… I took the last week off as family leave… but you only get a few weeks a year…" said Anne.

"What time will you be home from work?" Sirius asked Anne.

"I should be back by five.  How about we go to dinner before the gig?" said Anne.

"Sounds good, we'll be back before five then.  I'll just go get dressed and we can get going Sirius." said Harry.  He stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked back at Sirius sitting at the kitchen table in his wizard robes.  "You should probably change into Muggle clothes Sirius.  You did bring some with you, didn't you?" Harry said playfully, dodging the piece of toast that Sirius had just sent flying towards him, and running up the stairs two at a time.

"Well, I'm leaving for work now, so you two have a good day," said Anne, leaving the two of them to banter away at each other.

She had to laugh at those two.  It felt good to have them in the house.  She knew they hadn't had much time together just to talk, so most of their time since Sirius had arrived had been spent catching up on each other's lives.  She found that Sirius had just as good of an effect on Harry, as Harry had on Sirius.  If you didn't know any better you would think they were father and son.  She'd never really thought of Sirius as a father before.  He'd never seemed the marrying type, even before Azkaban.  She was thinking about this as she went to work.

~*~

"Sirius, are you ready yet?" called Harry up the stairs, Sirius had gone to get dressed half an hour ago and left Harry waiting downstairs.

As Sirius walked down the stairs Harry's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious Sirius?" he said laughing at his terrible pun.  "Don't you have anything else to wear?" 

"Nope this is it, what's wrong with it?" said Sirius looking hurt.  "I wore these when your Dad and I went into Muggle London years ago, before you were born," said Sirius, looking down at his dark green velour bell bottom pants, and orange and white striped shirt.

"That's the problem, Sirius, wizard robes may not have changed much, but Muggle clothes have.  The first thing we are going to have to do is get you some new clothes!" said Harry.  "Come on I'll lend you some of mine… they should fit" he said dragging Sirius up the stairs.

"Okay, though it seems a real shame to not be fashionable," teased Sirius, bursting out laughing at the horrified look on Harry's face.  "Actually, I'm surprised they still fit me.  Still after twelve years in Azkaban and Voldemort, I shouldn't be surprised.

"So where are we going today?" asked Sirius as Harry pulled out a pair of jeans, a blue polo shirt and a denim jacket.  "Can't I just wear my cloak?"

"No.  I don't want to attract any more attention than we have to, okay?" replied Harry firmly.  "Now, Anne told me that a good muggle clothes shop is Myer, but I have to change some money, so we'll have to floo to The Two Wands," said Harry.  "It's the pub at the entry to Tin Pan Alley," he added when Sirius gave him a questioning look.

Harry walked over to the fire, stepped in, threw down some floo powder, said 'The Two Wands' and green flames engulfed him and he was gone.  Sirius followed him a few moments later.

~*~

**_Dear Emily,_**

****

**_How has your week been?  It's nice to be able to send you letters directly now… I hope Ginny is doing okay.  I was wondering if you could come home for a little bit tonight?  I need to talk to you about something.  Please don't tell Ginny where you are going and I will explain everything tonight.  I should be home around five pm, so I'll see you then._**

****

**_Don't worry about replying, just come at five tonight…_**

****

**_Love always_**

**_Mum_**

Anne had Apparated home during recess to send Emily the owl.  She thought it would be strange for her to just show up to Ginny's gig without notice; she thought it would be too suspicious given recent events, so she had decided to tell Emily what was going on, before they left that evening.

Anne tied the letter to Ruby's leg.  "Get it there quickly Ruby," she told the owl.

~*~

Sirius landed with a 'thud' coming out of the fireplace in the Two Wands.  As he got up he saw Harry standing there doubled over in laughter.  "What's your problem?" Sirius asked grumpily, brushing soot off his clothes.

"You… you can't even land on your feet…" Harry laughed.

"Well, look at you, you're just as filthy as I am!" Sirius shot back at him.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!  I just expected you to land on your feet, I still remember my first trip by Floo Powder," said Harry shuddering at the thought.  "I landed in a shop in Knockturn Ally, and had to hide in a cupboard because Lucius and Draco Malfoy came in to sell some things… Draco Malfoy all but opened the door and found me…" 

"I hate floo… we just don't get along," laughed Sirius.  "I might have landed on my feet once before, maybe twice.  I just never got the hang of it."

They spent the next half hour getting money from Gringotts and changing it into Muggle money, then they headed into Muggle Melbourne to get Sirius some decent clothes.

About two hours later they were standing in the men's department of Myer, Sirius complaining loudly about having to try on endless amounts of clothes.  So far he had tried on five different styles of jeans, finally deciding on two different styles, various shirts, t-shirts, jackets, etc.  He was now trying to find an outfit to wear to the pub that night.  It took awhile, but Sirius decided on a pair of jeans and a black, short sleeved shirt and a leather jacket.  Harry had bought a pair of black cords and a deep sea green shirt.   If only Mrs Weasley could see him now.  He could almost hear her voice "Ahhh lovely, Harry.  That shirt brings out the green in your eyes…."  He smiled.  She had been such a great support to him over the years.  Almost like a mother…

The rest of the day they had spent doing normal Muggle things.  They went to the top of the Rialto building, took a tram ride around the city, played many arcade games and went to see a movie at Crown Casino.

They Apparated into Harry's bedroom at Anne's place at around ten to five that afternoon.  They ran down to the kitchen talking about the special effects in the movie they had just seen.  Harry came to an abrupt halt at the bottom of the stairs, Sirius didn't see him stop and slammed into Harry, knocking him to the ground.

As he picked himself up off the floor, he noticed Sirius was standing in attack position, wand ready.  The reason Harry had come to a dead stop, was in the kitchen.  Emily, Ginny's friend, was at the table eating toast, and had looked up and seen Harry as he'd come down the stairs.

"Sirius, put your wand down.  Now," Harry said firmly.  "Nice to meet you _Emily_," he put emphasis on the last word, trying to give Sirius a hint.  "Your Mum didn't mention you popping by."

"I… it, it's you.  Oh my God.  It's Harry?  Harry Potter?  Isn't it?  What are you doing here?  Oh my God.  I have to warn Ginny.  Did Mum contact you?  If she did I'll kill her…" Emily rambled.  She went on talking rapidly, Harry trying to get a word in, for another minute, before he walked over and caught her firmly by the shoulders, shaking her just a little to get her attention.

"Emily, listen to me," said Harry looking directly into Emily's eyes, which were looking back at him a little fearfully.  "Your Mum didn't tell me Ginny was here.  I found her on my own.  I saw Ginny singing at the pub and followed you both here from your dorm."

~*~  
  


She only had an hour to get ready before her gig, but she and Emily didn't have any food left, so she'd had to make a short pit-stop into the supermarket.  She quickly ran home.  They'd been short of food ever since they spent the weekend with Emily's mum.  They'd got out of their weekend routine and hadn't quite got back into it yet.  But the week had just flown, and Ginny could hardly believe it was Friday night already.

She got to her dorm room and tried the door, but it was locked.  She'd been expecting Emily to get home before her. She guessed that Emily had probably gone to the library after her last class to do a bit of research for a paper that was due in next Tuesday.

"Shit," she said to herself, realising it was locked.  She dug around in her bag trying to find her keys, and let herself in.  After dumping her school stuff in her room, she went to the wardrobe and pulled out some clothes.  She looked down at what she was wearing.  All the clothes she had bought since leaving home had been from op shops, and because she didn't earn much money she hadn't gotten new clothes for ages, only the necessities.

She looked inside the wardrobe again and put her old clothes away.  Emily would be _sooo _proud of her!  She pulled out a pair of Emily's black hipster pants and a shiny, midnight blue halterneck top, she grabbed her underwear and towel and went into the bathroom. 

As she stood under the hot spray, she couldn't help thinking about what she had learned the previous weekend.  She almost couldn't believe what Anne had told her.  She'd thought about little else all week.****

Harry.  Her Harry, had been looking for her for three years.  "What did I do to deserve him?" she asked herself.  She knew the answer – they were simply meant to be together, they always had been.  There was no one else for her but Harry, and she knew he felt the same way about her.  She started to wonder about her family again.  What were they all doing now that the war against Voldemort was over?

She thought about Ron and Hermione.  Were they married?  Did they have kids?  What about the rest of the family?  What about Penelope and Percy, did _they_ have kids yet?  Her Mum and Dad… Bill, Charlie, what did they _all_ think of what she had done?  She had always wondered what had happened after she fled The Burrow, but she had been too scared to have any contact with the magical community at all, after what she had done.  She had been too ashamed, and no amount of logic seemed to help.

She couldn't help but laugh though… she was always so careful when making friends, and normally kept people at a distance, but there had always been something about Emily that made her forget her self imposed rule… she'd always wondered what was at the root of her decision to finally let in Emily, and of course, the discovery that she and her mum were witches… it explained why she felt such a strong bond of kinship with Emily.  It was obviously her magic that drew Ginny to Emily and Emily to Ginny.

As she started shampooing and conditioning her long hair, she still had to pinch herself when thinking about the weekend she'd just had.  Firstly, the shock of discovering that Emily and Anne were witches, _and _that Anne knew Harry's Mum and Dad.  That connection alone was quite amazing.  I mean of all the witches to finally meet, and she meets the one that knew Harry's parents.  It was a one in a billion chance of ever happening and yet it had.  Ginny wondered, fleetingly, if fate wasn't playing a hand in her life.

Then the shock, even to herself, of finally telling someone her biggest secret, the whole horror of what had happened the night she killed Neville Longbottom.  She was still terribly saddened by it, but Ginny felt that speaking about it out aloud had finally allowed _some _of the guilt that had been plaguing her since that night, to dissipate.

She thought back to the weekend at Anne's place.  They had spent it doing normal Muggle things.  Anne and Emily took Ginny to some of the big shopping centre's and to Anne's local hairdresser and after much serious girly consultation, decided to change the colour of Ginny's hair.  She now had auburn, caramel and blonde streaks here and there, and the effect, when finally blow dried, was quite stunning.

Also, after much discussion, all three decided that Ginny would keep her muggle name, Grace, and only refer to her as Ginny in private, to avoid awkward questions, and also to protect their secret.

The highlight of the weekend for Ginny, though, had been to venture into Wizarding Melbourne, known to the wizarding community as Tin Pan Alley.  She hadn't ventured into any part of the wizarding world in three years, for fear of being discovered.  But with her new hair colour and muggle baseball cap, no one recognised her as they wandered through the world that they knew the best.  It had been really hard to leave it; to return home Sunday afternoon.  She still remembered the conversation that they'd had before she and Emily to return to Uni.

_"Don't forget Ginny.  It wasn't your fault.  It never was and it will never be!  Nothing can change what happened, but you didn't kill Neville, Voldemort did!  Always remember that.  If you ever need to talk, or need anything, remember I'm here for you, we both are. Okay?" said Anne._

_"Thank you," said Ginny tremulously, a little overwhelmed at Anne's kindness and generosity.  "Thank you for everything.  It's been wonderful being back in a wizarding household again.  I don't think I really realised what I was giving up three years ago, but thank you for easing me back into it the way you have.  I really appreciate it," said Ginny._

****

_"Don't worry mum, I'll keep an eye out for her.  Can I take Sandy home with me?" asked Emily looking quite excited.  Ginny raised her eyebrows bemusedly.  "She's my pet owl, but I couldn't keep her at the dorm because you didn't know that I was a witch, and there just isn't another explanation for a muggle to have an owl in their room now is there?" she explained matter-of-factly.  Ginny just laughed._

_"Well, I guess if nothing else, that will save you money won't it?" replied Anne.  "Sure take Sandy with you.  She definitely misses you when you're away at Uni.  She'll be glad to have your company again I should think."_

_"Thanks Mum,"_

_"I'll just get our bags," said Ginny._

_When she had gone upstairs, Anne turned to Emily adding, "Mind you, there's no excuse now for not keeping in touch with me regularly," she said teasingly.  "Keep me up to date on things, okay," she said quietly.  "Especially in regard to Ginny."_

_"I will, you know the only reason I didn't write regularly was because I didn't have access to an owl!" said Emily indignantly, but smiling just the same.  She realised that her Mum was only teasing, but she loved rising to it.  They had been doing it for years, and they both knew there was nothing mean behind it._

_Ginny came down the stairs with their bags, pausing just before reaching the bottom, looking pensive.  She'd overhead the last bit of their conversation and realised how much she missed the playful banter with her mum.  She felt another pang of guilt in her heart, staring down at her shoes, not moving._

_Anne saw her out of the corner of her eye, not missing the brief, painfully sad looked that flittered across Ginny's face._

_"All ready Ginny?" asked Anne._

_"Yep, ready to go," replied Ginny, quickly changing her expression, continuing down the last few steps into the kitchen, hoping no one had noticed.  "We'd better get going or we'll miss the bus Emily."_

_"The bus?  Why don't you just Apparate back home?" enquired Anne, a confused look appearing on her face._

_"I know we could do that, but I'm just not ready to go back to it, boots and all.  You know?" said Ginny, hoping that was enough of an explanation._

_"Take your time Ginny," Anne said understandingly._

Ginny shook herself out of her reverie, checked her watch and gasped.  She turned off the shower taps, got out, towelled herself dry and started get ready for the gig that night.

As she did her makeup, like Emily had done for her the week before, she allowed herself the luxury of thinking about Harry.

Harry.  She sighed.

Just thinking of him made her heart beat faster, and her legs feel a little unstable.  She hadn't lied to Anne.  She loved him more than anyone in the whole world.  She could barely imagine a life without him.  Leaving him without explanation had been the hardest thing she'd ever done.  It had been excruciating not seeing him practically every day. 

And knowing that he had been searching for her all this time.  What did it mean?  She didn't want to get her hopes up – it could just be Harry doing the noble thing, what was expected of him.  Could it mean that he loved her as much as she loved him?  She loved and wanted him so much.  But would he forgive her?  How could he ever forgive her for killing his friend?

Harry had always kept his emotions to himself, it was just part of his nature to be guarded.  But with Ginny it was different.  They'd started dating in Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts.  They took it very slowly.  Just hanging out together, holding hands, talking, spending time with Hermione and Ron.  The four of them became an inseparable group by the end of the year.

It had been an unusual courtship in many ways, for her _and_ Hermione.  Voldemort had returned at the end of Harry's fourth year, and although being at Hogwarts was about as safe as you could get, the war was distracting.  Harry was never allowed anywhere without plenty of protection.  That year they'd learnt spells that were strictly for defence and protection, and advanced for fourth and fifth year students at Hogwarts.  They were practically studying NEWT level Defence stuff.

Even going to Hogsmeade hadn't been an easy thing.  For Harry it had just been difficult; trying to live a normal teenage life knowing that one half of the wizarding world was keeping an eye on you, whilst the other half was trying to kill you.  It made it difficult to get any time alone with each other.  She smiled to herself… actually the Invisibility Cloak had come in handy in that respect!  Except when Professor Moody was around.  That magical eye of his could see through them, but he'd always respected their right to privacy, as long as he could warn them to have "constant vigilance!".

Harry had really opened up to Ginny.  Apart from Ron and Hermione, she was the only other person in the world that he'd been that free with, from what Ginny could tell.  Deep down inside she knew she was right about that.  She'd never pitied Harry, just loved him.  Always.  Unquestioningly.  Unwaveringly.

Tears welled up as she applied her mascara.  'Get a grip Ginny' she thought to herself.  She needed to sing, she thought to herself suddenly.  Whenever she felt like she was losing control, she sang.  And she always felt better afterwards.

And there was a particular song that she had in mind.  The band would be surprised by the new addition to the set.  It was only a small change, just one song.  She needed to express what she was feeling, creatively at least, and only one song could sum up how she felt about Harry.

She'd been writing it for a couple of years now, but she had added the finishing touches last weekend at Anne's place.  It seemed that now she had told the whole story to someone, it had allowed her to finally finish the song, like speaking the truth out loud had unblocked her in some way.

She'd always found it easier to write music than words.  She knew she'd been closed off somewhat when it came to expressing herself verbally, so, comparatively, the music had come easily.  But she felt like she'd poured all her emotions into this one song.  She didn't sing it very often; firstly because it meant so much to her and secondly, she hadn't been ready to let people hear this song – she'd written it about Harry, and she'd never sung it for anyone but herself.  The regular crowd at the pub had never heard it and her band certainly hadn't.  Not a soul.

But Ginny just felt that tonight was the night she would sing it for the first time in public.  For herself.  And for Harry.  Wherever he was.

~*~

Ginny was just finishing putting her makeup on when Emily Apparated into the bedroom, giving Ginny a fright.

"Oh gosh, don't do that Emily!" exclaimed Ginny in shock.

"Sorry Ginny," apologised Emily, "I didn't know which room you'd be in, and it's so great to be able to Apparate in and out again; I guess you're just not quite used to magic again, huh?"

"No.  Sorry Emily, it's going to take some time to get used to it all again," explained Ginny.  "I've lived completely without magic for almost three whole years!  I've worked my way from England to America, from LA to New York to Australia, all the muggle way, not using even the tiniest bit of magic."

"Okay, so we'll just take baby steps, but right now we should get out of here and get to the pub, just let me change," said Emily in a rush.

"Yeah, where have you been?"

"There was a particular outfit I wanted to wear and I didn't have it here, so I quickly popped back home to get it," said Emily quickly changing clothes and putting on her latest outfit.  "What do you think?  I made it myself."

"It looks fabulous as usual," said Ginny enviously.  "Have you noticed what I'm wearing though?"

"Yes, and I'm very proud of you, and those black hipsters look great on you by the way.  You'll drive the boys wild," said Emily, her glinting wickedly in Ginny's direction, "especially with your new hair colour.  It just looks absolutely gorgeous!"

"Thanks, but you know that's the last thing on my mind.  I don't have time for any of that, what with school, studies and the band."

"Hmmm, yes, and the fact that you're completely in love with Harry Potter probably has a bit to do with it, too, I would imagine," said Emily tentatively, looking at Ginny carefully.

Ginny didn't reply straight away, just played with her outfit, straightening it in front of the mirror.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, but I'm your best friend Ginny," pleaded Emily gently.  "Can I ask you a question about Harry?"

"Okay, I'm not sure if I'll answer you, but go ahead," said Ginny looking nervous and unsure of herself.

"Have you thought about what you'll do if he finds you?  I mean you love him, don't you?" said Emily.

"Yes, I do love him, you know I do," began Ginny tentatively, "but I've been gone for three years…."

"And he's been looking for you for three years, doesn't that tell you something?" interrupted Emily.

"….. I didn't leave a note, I've never contacted him or my family in any way.  Do they know what happened?  Harry probably told them.  He saw everything.  How can I ever go back home?" said Ginny desperately, barely pausing for breath.  "How can I ever look him in the face again?  I don't know what I'll do if he finds me.  Part of me misses him so badly; oh Emily if I could just hold him one more time, sometimes I think that would erase all the bad stuff, but I know it's just not that simple," Ginny paused briefly, taking a steadying breath, looking at Emily.

Emily walked towards Ginny slowly.  "I think a man who follows a woman all around the world to find her must love her very much, and probably desperately wants to hold her too.  I have no doubt that Harry feels the same way about you Ginny.  I think you just need to have a little faith…" said Emily hoping she wasn't giving too much away.

Emily was on Ginny's side, but she was on Harry's too.  Like most young girls, she loved romance, and this was the perfect love story in her opinion.  But she respected Harry to want to do this right, now that he'd finally found her, and she also respected Ginny's right to not want to see anyone from her past again.   It was an interesting double-edged sword.

"Well, honey, I think we should hit the road, or else the band will think you've forgotten all about them," said Emily on a lighter note.

"Yeah," said Ginny shaking her head as if to clear it.  She needed to get focused on the evening ahead.  "Let's get going."


	5. Conspiracies

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Authors Notes: **Thank you to everyone who reviewed!!

**Arfean: **Our First new Review!! We're soo glad you are enjoying this story… 

**Keronshara: **I agree thank god we keep many copies of the work… We actually it saved in at least 5 different places… Chapter 16 should be up before Christmas hopefully both here and on my Yahoo Group and here… Thanks for your continued support!! – Rhiain and Carolyn… 

**Tyster: **Thanks for your support… Chapter 16 should be up before Christmas… If it isn't on here you can find it on my Yahoo Group… - Rhiain

**Brian: **Seeking Ginny can be found . This story was previously loaded under the same Title… but fanfiction.net decided to remove it, claiming "not the property of the uploading author" but I assure you every word of it is ours… Thanks for you support… Rhiain

**Chilly: **Thanks for the kind words… I agree it is hard to write HP fan fiction because of the competition, I'm glad you are enjoying this one… 

Now, Yes Cliffhangers are going to be regular… Unfortunately they are a necessary evil… :) 

Sirius… One of my favorite characters, I can't believe JK killed him… But don't worry, he is and will always be in this story…

If you check back over the next few days, I will be uploading up to chapter 15 and hopefully chapter 16, then you will have to go back to waiting for each chapter… let me know if you want to know when I add the chapters… :)  Rhiain

**Little-Lost-One: **You should get up to chapter 15 and hopefully chapter 16 before Christmas… then it will go back to updating once or twice a month… Rhiain

___________________________________________________________________________    

**Chapter 5**

**Conspiracies**

~*~

As they walked the short distance to the pub, Emily thought back to the conversation she'd just had with her Mum, Harry and Sirius, only a few hours ago.

_"Emily" came the sharp voice of her mum._

_"Don't you 'Emily' me Mum, you told… after you promised… don't you care?  What about Ginny?  Huh?  What is she going to do if she finds out Harry's here?  She might run again Mum, She's the best friend I've ever had and I don't want that to happen!  Well if she runs… I'm going with her," stated Emily defiantly, pausing for breath._

_"Emily, please.  You need to calm down.  Either you calm down and hear me out, or I will 'Petrificus Totalas' you, so you'll have no choice _but_ to listen. It's up to you," said Anne drawing out her wand._

_"Fine, fine, I'll listen," replied Emily._

_"Okay, could you get some tea, and bring it into the lounge room," said Anne._

_"Wow Anne," gaped Sirius, "I remember being on the receiving end of that temper.  You and Lily together were a force not to be reckoned with," finished Sirius shuddering at the memory, as the three of them went into the lounge room to wait for Emily to return._

_"She'll calm down while she's getting the tea. She'll be fine," promised Anne, looking at Harry and Sirius confidently._

****

_~*~_

_"Harry, Sirius I would like you to meet my daughter, Emily.  I hope she didn't give you too much of a fright.  I thought it might look funny if I showed up tonight with no notice," Anne didn't get to finish what she was going to say because Emily butted in._

_"What do you mean you're coming tonight?" she asked.  "They're not coming are they? Ginny will freak…"_

_"Emily… please stop it.  Be quiet and listen.  I mean it!  Not another word, I want you to hear us out… okay?" said Anne looking determinedly at Emily, daring her to utter another sound._

_"She was like this at school," whispered Sirius to Harry, "the amount of lectures we got from Anne and Lily… it was amazing we had time to pull off any pranks!!".  Harry listened, grinning.  It was great to hear these little tidbits about his parents' past, but he felt he needed to interject here before Emily got mad again._

_"Emily, your Mum didn't call me, or contact Sirius.  I've been trying to find Ginny for almost three years.  I got some information from a girl that Ginny worked with in New York, who said that she was heading to Australia.  After I got here I ended up walking by the pub Ginny plays at, instinct got me through the door and then soon after the band came on to play," Harry hurried on trying to explain it all so that she would understand._

_"I heard her play a song that made me think that she might not feel the same way about me, as I do her.  So I left towards the end, waited for her to leave, put a tracking spell on her and went back to my hotel room._

_"I just…. I couldn't go and speak to her.  It was too much.  After all this time, what would I say?  Did she even want to see me again?  A ton of questions just crowded my head.  Look Emily, I know she's your friend, and you obviously care about her and feel protective of her…. but I love her too much to ruin things now.  The really big question is, does she love me?  I couldn't approach her.  There were just too many variables that I didn't have the answers too._

_"I followed the spell, it lead me to the dorms at your school.  I saw you come out of the building and Apparate, I went back to my hotel, grabbed my Invisibility Cloak and Apparated onto the roof across from your building._

_"I sat there most of the day until Ginny and you came out.  I followed you to the train station, and then I followed the tracking spell to here.  I waited until you both had left Sunday afternoon, and came and knocked on the door" finished Harry, wondering what Emily's reaction would be._

_"You mean you didn't write to him to come?" said Emily, looking at Anne with a hint of doubt in her tone._

_"No dear. I wouldn't betray Ginny's or your trust, you should know that.  It's just that… when Harry knocked on the door I didn't know what to say or do.  The last time I had seen him, he was in nappies.  Well, you can imagine my shock, and then about two days later Sirius showed up of his own accord.  He felt that Harry needed him, needed his support," explained Anne patiently._

_"The reason we want to go and see her tonight is to prove to Sirius that I've really found her," added Harry smiling.  "I'm not sure he really believe me yet."_

_"Well, you've definitely found her, and yes, she's playing tonight.," said Emily, still looking a little dumbstruck that Harry Potter was sitting in her Mum's lounge room.  I mean he was probably the most famous wizard alive today.  She took a furtive glance at his lightning shaped scar on his forehead, becoming more curious about him now that he was right in front of her.  "So, is that all you wanted to see me about Mum?"_

_"Sort of.  I was actually wondering, with Harry's consent of course, whether you wouldn't mind doing some detective work for us," asked Anne hopefully, 'without Ginny knowing that Harry or Sirius are here?"_

_"Depends," answered Emily, still protecting Ginny.  "What do you want to know?"_

_Harry had stood up and gone to the window during their brief exchange, glancing over to Emily a few times, praying that she would help them.  He came and sat down opposite Emily, looking directly into her eyes.  Emily's breath caught in her chest.  Wow!  He was really… ummm…. She couldn't quite bring herself to break his gaze._

_"Emily, I need to know how she feels.  How would she react if she saw me again, how would she feel?" Harry asked, again feeling uncomfortable talking about his emotions with strangers.  He barely did it with the Weasley's and people he'd known for years, let alone someone he only met a half an hour ago.  "I know this will be hard for you, but I love her.  Her brother Ron is getting married on the first of September and they both want her home to be their maid of honor.  She has family at home who have been hurt and distraught about her whereabouts for the past three years.  They deserve to know that she's alright."  He paused, letting the emotional impact of what he'd said sink in for a few seconds._

_"I need her Emily," persisted Harry.  "I want to spend the rest of my life with her, if she still loves me.  If she'll have me."  Harry got up and crossed to the window again, shoving his hands in his jean pockets, tension evident in his body._

_Sirius watched it all play out, not interrupting.  He knew how hard it was for Harry to be this vulnerable in front of people he hardly knew._

_Harry, Sirius and Anne all looked towards Emily, who was watching Harry at the window, new understanding dawning on her for the first time, waiting for her answer._

Emily shook her head, to clear her thoughts, pulling her jacket around herself tightly, trying to protect herself against the chilly wind that seemed to follow her and Ginny all the way to the pub.

Well, she had done her part.  All she needed to do now was meet up with Harry, Sirius and her Mum inside the pub, after the band went on stage, and bring them up to date.  As much as the consequences of all this would probably mean that Ginny would leave her, and she would miss her terribly, deep in her heart, she knew that Ginny and Harry were meant to be together.  And that gave her a really good feeling deep down inside.

~*~

"Well that went better than I thought" sighed Anne, to no one in particular, after Emily had left.

"Harry?  Are you okay?" Sirius asked as he walked over and put a hand on Harry's shoulder.  Harry flinched at the touch and he shook his head.  Sirius looked at Harry's face carefully, trying to read what was going on inside his head, and his heart.  He looked ready to completely unload.  Instead, Harry took a deep steadying breath, turned to face Sirius, with a sigh.

"I'll be fine.  I'm always fine aren't I?"

"Harry, you don't have to be this strong.  We're not at war anymore.  There's time now for the really important stuff - like Ginny."

"I need some time alone Sirius.  You understand, right?"

"Yeah, sure Harry.  I'm here whenever you need me," said Sirius resignedly, watching Harry go upstairs to his room.

"Will he be alright?" asked Anne worriedly.

"I'll talk to him.  He'll be fine.  It just takes a lot for Harry to really open up and trust people, even me," said Sirius looking concerned.  "Living with the Dursley's for all those years will do that to a person.  I'd better go see if he's okay."

Sirius climbed the staircase slowly to the bedrooms above, walked along the corridor to Harry's and knocked.  He opened the door and saw Harry on his bed, lying face down.  Harry sat up quickly, wiping his eyes hurriedly.  He didn't want to be seen crying, that would be too embarrassing.

"Harry, if you don't want to go tonight, we can stay here… just us," said Sirius.

"I… I want to go, I _need_ to see her" said Harry, obviously determined to go through with this, no matter what the consequences.

"And I can appreciate that, it's just really hard to see you like this," said Sirius softly.

"Like what?" asked Harry innocently as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on.

"Harry, I know how much Ginny means to you, I know how long you've been searching, and only a deep sense of loyalty and love can keep a man going for three years," said Sirius seriously.

"Ummm, Sirius, you know, we don't have to talk about this," mumbled Harry self-consciously.

"I know, but I think it's time we did.  I'm your Godfather and your Guardian, not that you need one," smiled Sirius, "in fact, you've never really needed me at all.  You've always been so self sufficient."  This made Sirius a little sad, but he knew that events of the past were responsible, partly, for the person that you became.  "Harry, I'm so proud of who you are, the man you've become.  James and Lily would be proud too, if they were alive."

"Really?  You think so?"

"How can you even ask that?  You have fought in a really hard war, against Voldemort, and won.  Anyone who has survived that should be proud.  But I'm talking about the person you are when you're with Ginny, what she brings out in you.  It's okay to cry Harry.  It doesn't make you weak, or a lesser person.  Actually, you have to be a really strong person to have the courage _to_ cry."

During this little speech, Harry was just staring at Sirius as if he was seeing him for the first time.  He never realised that Sirius could be so eloquent and meaningful, and emotional too.  

Sirius' eyes were shining with unshed tears.  Harry didn't know what to say.

"Harry, you know I'd do anything for you don't you?" Sirius started again taking a step closer to Harry.  "I know I haven't been the perfect role model for you, and I know it's been tough to have a father figure who really hasn't got a clue, but I'm always going to be here for you.  The war's over and we have the rest of lives to get to know each other, I mean to really get to know each other."

"Is that what you think?  That you haven't been a good role model?" queried Harry with incredulity.  He'd definitely seen Sirius at his worst, but in many ways at his best too.  He'd been a powerful force in the Order of the Phoenix and, despite his time in Azkaban, was extremely well respected by the wizarding community.  He had unknowingly taught Harry that the little differences don't matter, whether you're muggle born, half blood or pure blood.  He'd learnt integrity and loyalty from him too.  He'd watched him plan and execute raids, save people's lives for so many years, and be humane in the treatment of prisoners, knowing what awaited them, knowing that, in many ways, their fate was sealed.

"Sirius, you are the only real family I have, to speak of, and you have been so important to me since I first discovered who you were.  Not just important to me, but you were my parent's best friend.  You're important and valued by so many people; the Weasley's, Hermione, Professor Dumbledore, even Snape thinks highly of you - though he'd never admit it.  Aside from Ginny, you are the most important person in my life.  And I know you hate the sentimental stuff, and I know it's hard for you to hear it, God… it's hard for me to say it – but… I love you.  I'm proud that you're my Godfather, and I know my parents are proud of you too, they made the right choice," said Harry, dead serious, tears shimmering, unshed.

Sirius looked totally dumbstruck.  It was rare for him to be open with people too, apart from maybe Remus, but to hear it from Harry was, well, amazing actually.  He took another step towards Harry, grabbed him and pulled him close, engulfing him in a bear hug.

With tears sliding down both their cheeks, they clung to each other for a moment, let each other go, and then they both laughed out loud.

"Boy we're a pair aren't we?" grinned Sirius.

"Yeah, what girls we are," said Harry, embarrassed and laughing all at the same time.

"Well, now that we've released some of that pent up emotion, we should go downstairs.  Anne will be wondering what on earth is going on," Sirius replied.  Just as he was turning to leave he heard Anne call up the stairs from the kitchen.

"Are you two staying up there all night, or are we actually going out to have some fun!" called Anne from the kitchen.

"Well," Sirius looked at Harry, "it's your call.  Are we still going?"

"Definitely," replied Harry, feeling stronger about everything than he had for a few days now.  "We're coming down Anne!" he yelled down the stairs.  

~*~

"If we're still going to make dinner we have to leave in ten minutes," called Anne from the kitchen.  Harry and Sirius had been upstairs talking, and were now in the lounge room continuing their conversation, this time about the evening ahead.  She knew that they'd both been quite emotional.  A woman could always spot these things, even though they both looked normal when they'd returned from upstairs.  It was hard to see them both go through all this emotional stuff, and her heart went out to Harry.  From what she had seen and heard, he was the strong and silent type… didn't show his emotions to anyone.

"We're ready to go," called Sirius from the lounge room.

~*~

"Sorry about earlier Anne," said Harry as Anne returned to the lounge room, "everything just became… too overwhelming," said Harry.

"There's no need to apologize Harry, I understand how difficult this must be for you," said Anne.

"Where are we eating?  I'm starved!" said Sirius.

"Phoenix Delight, in Tin Pan Alley.  Why, is there something special you want to eat?" asked Anne.

"Nope, I'm just hungry," grinned Sirius.

"You're always hungry," smiled Anne indulgently.  She liked it when Sirius smiled.  His whole face lit up, and he looked…. really handsome.  Despite the ravages of Azkaban and the war against Voldemort, after three years of peace in the wizarding world, he had always been, and still was, a very enigmatic, good looking man.

~*~

Ron woke up and turned over in bed, reaching out for Hermione, only to discover she wasn't there.  He was surprised, he'd thought she would be catching up on sleep still.

They had finished the year at Hogwarts with the traditional Leaving Feast, but it had been a very long day, and Hermione had come home from Hogwarts really exhausted.   She had been very busy lately, working with Professor Flitwick and planning the wedding on the weekends and evenings, she'd had to sacrifice sleep to fit it all in, and so she had been catching up on sleep the last couple of nights.

"Morning beautiful," Ron yawned as he came down the stairs of The Notch.  "You're up early." ****

"Morning gorgeous.  Well I've been getting lots of sleep since school finished, and I think I'm all caught up.  I had such an early night last night… how did you sleep?" Hermione asked, giving Ron a gentle good morning kiss, "and what would you like breakfast?"

"I could hardly sleep, I kept waking up every hour," replied Ron, wrapping her in his arms tightly, burrowing his face into her neck and breathing in the scent of her.  He loved the fact that she was his, forever.  It still surprised him, even after all these years. "And apart from wanting _you_ for breakfast, I'll just grab some toast on the way to work," he added teasingly.

"Why do you have to go in today?  I thought you got today off to spend with me?" asked Hermione, surprised.

"There is a meeting at nine I have to go to, then I'll meet you at The Burrow.  I shouldn't be too late," said Ron.

Just then an owl flew through the window and presented Ron with a letter.

**_Dear Ron and Hermione,_**

****

**_I hope you're all well.  Sirius arrived here the other day, but I'm sure you know that by now._**

****

**_Sirius and I have been staying with my Godmother... yes, you read that right.  It turns out that she went into hiding just after Mum and Dad were killed.   Remus gave Sirius her address just before he left.  Anne was my Mum's best friend, as well as a friend to the Marauders.  It's very strange having "official" parent-like figures in my life… :-).  And I mean no disrespect to your parents Ron, they have been wonderful to me and I care about them very much.  But there's something about the fact that my parents chose these two people, specifically, to watch over me…. anyway…_****__**

**_To bring you up to date on my search, I have a new lead on Ginny and I think I'm close to finding her._**

****

**_I hope the wedding plans are going well.  Sorry I'm not there to help.  With any luck Sirius, Ginny and I will be home soon._**

****

**_Love   
Harry_**

**_xoxo_**

****

"Who's it from?" asked Hermione, bustling around the kitchen getting Ron some coffee and toast.

"Harry.  He says he's got a lead on Ginny, but he sounds a bit vague.  Here, have a look" he said handing the letter to Hermione.

Hermione took the letter, reading through it quickly.  "I'm not sure, but, reading between the lines, I'm guessing that he's found her… but hasn't spoken to her yet" said Hermione after reading and re-reading the letter.

"D'ya think?" Ron said his face lighting up with hope.

"Its just the way he's worded it… '**_I have a new lead on Ginny and I think I'm close to finding her..._**' then later '**_With any luck Sirius, Ginny and I will be home soon.._**' I don't know," Hermione looked thoughtful, "call it women's intuition, but it just makes me think he's found her.  What do you think?" she asked.

"I think after my meeting today, we should visit Remus at Lupin Lodge and get that address," Ron said getting up.

~*~

Ginny and Emily shrugged off their winter coats and hung them up in Ginny's dressing room.  Although Ginny and her band weren't famous in the commercial sense, Emily still felt a little thrill at being "backstage" with the band.

"Now remember Em," said Ginny sternly, looking at Emily with a worried look on her face, "I'm not Ginny, I'm Grace again, okay?"

"No problem Grace," said Emily with a smile creaking at the corners of her mouth, "I haven't stumbled since we returned from Mum's place last weekend, and I'm not likely to now am I?"

"Okay.  You know I trust you, it's just that I'm nervous," said Grace.

"About what?"

"Well, ever since I read that article in The Wizard Times about Harry looking for me, I sort of feel like…. Oh I don't know, like I should be looking over my shoulder.  It's irrational, but there you are."

"Stop worrying so much Grace," said Emily soothingly.  "What will be, will be, and we'll just deal with whatever comes our way when it does, okay?"

"Yep, you are such a clever girl," interrupted Fred, "but what the hell are you two talking about?"  He pushed himself away from the edge of the door where he'd been lounging and came strolling over to the mirror where Grace was putting the finishing touches to her makeup.

"Oh, nothing, just girl stuff Fred, you'd be bored stiff with all that gobbledygook," said Emily winking at him slyly.

"Hmm, well whenever you're ready Grace, I'll go out and introduce the band and then you," said Fred leaving the girls to it.

"Give me another minute and I'll be there.  Thanks Fred, you're gorgeous to me," said Grace sending a grateful look towards him.

"You deserve much more than that, but hey… I do what I can," he said laughing.  "By the way, the new headsets are here too, so tonight you can sing hands-free if you want."

"Oh wow!  That will be so cool…." exclaimed Grace, looking just like a teenager on Christmas Day.

"Well, get a wriggle on, I'm going out to introduce you."

"Yup!  I'm right behind you.  Emily, see you during the break."  All three were walking up the corridor leading to behind the stage.

"Okay, see you later," said Emily going through a side door leading out to the main part of the pub.


	6. True Intentions

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.****

**Authors Notes: **Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, the last few chapters… Here is the next one… :) Rhiain & Carolyn…

**Chapter 6**

**True Intentions**

~*~

Ginny walked out on stage to really loud cheers.  They had a large group of regulars who always came to watch BeWITCHing Evil perform.  They were mostly uni students, teachers and local workers.  They were always a generous crowd, but tonight it was really full, which was good for the band.  It meant more 'take home' money.

Ginny put her new hands-free headset on and stood centre stage, to begin the first song…

~*~

Harry, Sirius and Anne had found themselves a table right up the back, so they could stay out of Ginny's line of sight.  At that moment, Harry was laughing at Sirius, who had never really been in this sort of place before now, and was just staring at everything in amazement.

It was such a kaleidoscope of human interaction.  Harry had always found it fascinating to watch Muggles.  He hadn't taken Muggle Studies at school, because he'd always felt he knew everything he needed to know, but technology in the Muggle world was advancing rapidly and it was always interesting to watch it all play out in front of him.

He saw Emily winding her way through the crowd to them, as the band started their first song, and Sirius went to help Anne with the drinks.

Emily went straight to Harry's side, and whispered in his ear, so that he could hear her over the noise.

"Harry, I've just spoken to Ginny," Emily paused, waiting for a response.

"Well," said Harry, knots twisting horribly in his stomach, "what did she say?"

"She loves you, very much," said Emily quickly, not wanting to keep Harry in suspense any longer, "but she's still worried about not having said anything to you for three years, not having ever communicated with you or her family.  She is so torn up over everything, she's so conflicted, but I think deep down, she just wants you back.  She needs your forgiveness Harry," finished Emily seriously.

"What for?" Harry asked incredulously.  "She's done nothing wrong."

"She killed Neville, and that's ultimately why she ran; that's why she feels so much guilt, even though she knows Voldemort had her under the Imperious Curse, and couldn't have prevented it.  The fact that you saw it all, I think, is what she feels so ashamed about, however illogical it might seem to us."

Harry just sat there stunned, his mind a whirl of thoughts racing around in circles.  He had guessed at some of this, but he hadn't realised the depth of her guilt.  He wanted to go to her, _now_, and it took all his strength to not leave the table and approach her, on stage, in front of everyone.

"Harry, this is good news.  You should be grinning from ear to ear," said Emily a little worried.

"Oh, I know it is Emily.  I'm just a little stunned at how she just took it all on her own shoulders to bear alone.  I wish she'd trusted me enough to love her in spite of what had happened," said Harry, hanging his head, "but she didn't trust me".

"Harry, I don't even think that was a factor.  I'm positive that she trusts you, it was her feelings of guilt that drove her to leave.  I just don't think, at that point in her life, she was strong enough to deal with everyone knowing about it, and having her family feel ashamed of her."

"But they don't know what happened," Harry interjected.

"What do you mean?  How come?"

"Well, after much _discussion _with Ron and Hermione… we were at it for three days before they convinced me to tell them.  We decided to keep it between the three of us, and Sirius has only just found out," Harry said slowly.  "Ron's her brother and Hermione's our best friend and Ron's fiancé," said Harry explaining the connections for Emily.  "We decided not to tell her family until I had found her.  They don't know.  That's something Ginny has to do herself.  No one can do that for her."

"Well, I think you should go backstage and wait for her when she's finished the last set," said Emily.  "Fingers crossed she doesn't spot you before then, but even if she does, just go outside and Apparate to the dressing rooms backstage.  

"Thanks Emily, you have just been amazing today," Harry smiled shyly at her.  "I now know why Ginny was drawn to you.  You're a really good friend.  If Ginny comes home with me for the wedding, I hope both you and Anne will come Simple." too.  Since I found out that Anne was my Godmother, you're beginning to feel like family to me."

"Well, thanks bro'," quipped Emily putting her arm around him in a jovial fashion.

This was all new to Harry.  It had taken him a while to get used to the Weasley's and the way they all interacted with each other, but even that was different, because he'd spent so much time with them in the holidays, and saw them at Hogwarts too.  But Harry also knew, instinctively, that it was okay to let down the wall that he hid behind much of the time with strangers.

Sirius was right.  The war was over and it was time to give free reign to his emotions, make friends, have fun, spend time with family.  At this moment, Harry almost felt content.  Then a little voice inside his head asked _'and how long will that last?'_.  Harry ignored it, and looked towards Anne and Sirius who were returning with a few drinks.

"Harry, I've decided that I'm going to have a few drinks and experiment tonight.  What do you think I should have?" smiled Sirius, with a beer in one hand, and a Marguerita in the other, which was for Emily.

"Actually, knowing you, I think you should just stick to experimenting with the beers and not worry about the rest!"

"Maybe you're right," replied Sirius, "but then again, maybe we should just let our hair down for once.  Hmm?"

"Maybe another night, I'm going to try and keep a clear head if I can," said Harry seriously, but a twinkle of a smile crept into his face just the same.

"You've got that look, like the cat that swallowed the cream," Sirius noted with raised eyebrows.

"Well, I've just relayed my conversation with Ginny to him, we've had a great chat about it, and I think I've managed to put him at ease somewhat," said Emily looking quite proud of herself.

"Well, well, Harry happy…" whistled Sirius softly, "thought I'd never see it again."

He was teasing Harry ever so slightly, but Harry didn't mind.  He was more concerned for Ginny, though he was truly elated that she still loved him so much.  He could hardly stand to sit there for the next two hours… but he had to.

~*~

BeWITCHing Evil finished "Glowing Dangerously", and the boys thought they were going to go into the last song of the evening, when Ginny stopped them.

"Now ladies and gentlemen, before we do our usual last song, which I know you all love just a little bit," Ginny was smiling down at the crowd, who had been in excellent form all evening, "I want to do a song that I've been working on for a long time now.  Even the boys here haven't heard it.  Guys, take a break.  This one I'm doing solo," Ginny explained mysteriously.

The boys just nodded, eyebrows raised and sat down at the back of the stage, knowing that they would be needed to finish off the set in a few minutes, wondering just what was going on.  Grace hadn't done this before.

Ginny walked back over to the keyboards, sat down, took a deep breath and got herself ready.

~*~

Emily sat bolt upright in her chair.  She didn't know how, but she knew the song Ginny was about to play.  "Guys, I've got to go and do backup for Ginny."

"Huh?" said Sirius dumbly, not used to music jargon of any kind.

"I know what song she's about to sing and I want to go up and sing with her."

"How do you know?" asked Anne curiously.

"I was looking for some notes that I'd thrown away last week, and found a song that Ginny had been writing," rushed on Emily, speaking quickly and rising from her chair in one fluid movement.  "I've heard her sing it before, but not all of it, just the chorus now and then, when she didn't know I was around.  I think she's about to sing it.  I'll see you all afterwards.  You must stay for the last song.  The crowd goes totally wild, it's an eye-opener believe me.  I'll be back later."  And she disappeared into the crowd, before anyone had time to react.

~*~

Ginny steadied her fingers, pausing them over the keyboards, looked out into the crowd her voice, quiet and husky, "I've been writing this for a long time.  It's a song that means a lot to me.  It's about someone whom I love very much.  Harry, wherever you are.  This one's for you."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny could see Emily step onto the stage and walk towards one of the free-standing microphones on stage.  She raised her eyebrow at Emily questioningly, but started to the play the intro, instinctively trusting that Emily knew what she was doing.__

_I know I can be a little stubborn sometimes - you might say,_

_a little righteous and too proud.  
I just want to find a way to compromise,  
cos I believe that we can work things out_

Harry sat transfixed, unable to move.  When Ginny had said his name, his body reacted instinctively, his stomach tightening, blood pulsing through his entire body hearing Ginny say his name like that.

_I thought I had all the answers  
never giving in,  
but baby since you've gone  
I admit that I was wrong_

_All I know is I'm lost without you  
I'm not gonna lie.  
How'm I gonna be strong without you?  
I need you by my side._

Harry was stunned, his heart thudding heavy against his ribs, his body vibrating to the sound of her voice.  There was an ache deep in his heart at hearing Ginny sing these words.  He just wanted to comfort her… and love her…

_If we ever said we'd never be together and we ended with goodbye,  
I don't know what I'd do,_

_Lost without you…  
  
_

_(I keep trying to find my way)  
(but all I know is) I'm lost without you,  
(I keep trying to face the day)_

_Lost without you._

Ginny looked wonderingly at Emily as she sang backup.  They were definitely having a talk afterwards, about how she knew the backup vocals… but she felt free of guilt and burden for the first time in three years, as she sang the words that had come to mean so much to her.

_How'm I ever gonna get rid of these blues?  
Baby, I'm so lonely all the time._

_Everywhere I go I get so confused,_

_You're the only thing that's on my mind_

_Oh my bed's so cold at night,_

_and I miss you more each day._

_Only you can make it right,_

_No, I'm not too proud to say..._

Harry couldn't keep his eyes off Ginny, praying that she wouldn't see him.  The words she had just sung were bringing visual images to his mind, completely unbidden, causing him to blush, feel warm all over and his heart rate to quicken, thanking the fact that the audience was in the dark and no one could see his reaction.

_All I know is I'm lost without you  
I'm not gonna lie.  
How'm I gonna be strong without you?  
I need you by my side._

Sirius was seated to the back of Harry.  But he was watching both Harry and Ginny closely.  He was so happy that things were transpiring the way Harry wanted them.  Harry deserved, more than anyone he knew, to be happy.  But at the same time, Sirius felt a twinge of regret in his heart, that he didn't have anyone like Ginny in his life…

_  
If we ever said we'd never be together and we ended with goodbye,  
I don't know what I'd do,_

_Lost without you…  
  
_

_(I keep trying to find my way  
but all I know is) I'm lost without you._

_(I keep trying to face the day)  
Lost without you_  
  


It would have been funny to observe their group, thought Anne.  She was watching Sirius, who was watching Harry who was watching Ginny.  She could see every emotion flitter across Sirius's face, and her heart contracted as she saw the look of loneliness flash in his eyes, and immediately disappear.

_If I could only hold you now,  
and make the pain just go away.  
Can't stop the tears from running_

_down my face.  
  
All I know is I'm lost without you  
I'm not gonna lie.  
How'm I gonna be strong without you?  
I need you by my side._

Anne glanced at Harry then, and smiled.  It was good to see young love so evident for him and Ginny.  And glancing across to Emily, and was suddenly struck by how grown up Emily seemed.  She was very proud to have a daughter with such a strong character and sense of loyalty.

_If we ever said we'd never be together and we ended with goodbye,  
I don't know what I'd do  
I'm lost without you_

Ginny, took a deep steadying breath.  Tears were welling up in her eyes.  She couldn't help it.  She let a single tear track down her face, took another deep breath as Emily sang backup and kept singing.  She was almost finished.

_  
(I keep trying to find my way)  
(but all I know is) I'm lost without you  
(I keep trying to face the day)  
(and all I find is) I'm lost without your love_

_  
(I keep trying to find my way)  
(but all I know is) I'm lost without you…_

_  
I'm lost without you_

Harry hadn't moved the entire song.  The words flowed through him and over him like a soothing balm to a wound that had never healed.  He shifted in his seat… desperately wanting to be close to her, to touch her again… it had been so long.  He wasn't even aware of his surroundings.  He wasn't aware that, oddly enough, the crowd was parting before him, leaving Ginny with a clear line of sight… to him.

~*~

Hermione and Mrs Weasley were in the kitchen discussing the wedding.  On one hand Hermione was excited to be planning her wedding, but on the other hand, it was sad that her parents were no longer alive to see this wonderful day.

She couldn't help thinking about her parents, and the tragedy that surrounded their death's.  She would never forget what happened on her first day back at Hogwarts, for her fifth year…

_Ron, Hermione and Harry were sitting eating breakfast on the first day back.  Harry and Ron were discussing how long it would take Professor Trelawney to predict Harry's death in their first class of the day, when their attention turned to Professor McGonagall walking from the head table towards Hermione._

_"How many classes too many did you sign up for this year Hermione?" joked Ron._

_"Miss Granger would you please come with me? said Professor McGonagall in a firm voice "Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, you had better come too."  
  
_

_"What's wrong Professor" Hermione asked._

_"The headmaster needs to see you," was all Professor McGonagall said.  They all got up from the Gryffindor table and followed Professor McGonagall out of the Great Hall, towards Dumbledore's office._

_"Cockroach Clusters," McGonagall said to the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Professor Dumbledore's office.  "Professor Dumbledore is waiting for you".  They walked up the stairs as it spiralled upwards, and when it reached the top, they knocked on the door._

_"Come in," replied Dumbledore somberly.  "Ah, Miss Granger, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley.  Please sit down," he said very formally, pointing to the chairs in front of his desk._

_"What's the matter Professor?" asked Hermione._

_"I'm afraid I have some bad news for you Hermione,," he paused for a moment, watching them sink into the chairs facing his desk._

_"It's… it's my parents isn't it?" she said looking grim, and terrified, not really wanting to hear the answer._

_"I'm afraid so.  From the information we've received to date, Death Eaters attacked your home last night" said Dumbledore._

_"Wh…. what happened?  I need to know.  Please?" she asked taking Ron's and Harry's hands instinctively in both of her own.  "Just tell me Professor Dumbledore… everything, don't hide anything from me."_

_"They used Unforgivable Curses on both of them.   On your mum first, but your dad moved in front to protect her, and they tried again.  They are both dead. I'm so sorry Hermione," said Dumbledore._

_Hermione sat there looking shocked, her breathing ragged, eyes shining with unshed tears,  Harry and Ron squeezed her hands trying to comfort her.  It didn't take long before Hermione stood up unsteadily and ran out of the room, she couldn't stay and listen any longer.  She ran and ran until she reached the top of the Astronomy tower, where she closed the door._

_And the tears came.  She sat down against the cold,, stone wall and cried.  She was crying so hard that she didn't hear the door open or someone coming over to her, all she knew was that someone was holding her tightly, comforting her._

_"It's going to be okay Hermione," said Ron in a soothing voice.  "I'm always going to be here for you."_

_"Why?  How could they do that to them?  They had nothing to do with anything.  Where will I go now, what will I do?" she asked, pulling back, looking deeply into Ron's eyes._

_"You can stay with us.  You know what my Mum's like, and Dad.  They would love to have you stay with us, for as long as you want.  Don't worry about it now.  Mum's on her way," he soothed, pulling her back into his embrace._

_From that day on, Ron and Hermione were inseparable._

Not that Hermione would ever let anyone know what was really going on inside her head.  She didn't like to burden other people with her problems.  Ron was the only one that instinctively knew what she was thinking, at any given moment in time.  Ron knew how conflicting this was for her, without her Mum by her side.  And yet Mrs Weasley had been such a tower of strength for Hermione.  She had been nagging and organising, definitely, but Hermione suspected that she knew what was going on inside her head sometimes, just like Ron, in regards to her parents, and was just being loving, supportive, and caring.

Mrs Weasley had been asking her a question, but at that moment was just watching her quietly.  She had seen a cloud pass over Hermione's face, and knew what was going through her head at that moment.  She knew Hermione wouldn't want to talk about it.

"Hermione?  Hermione…. Are you okay?  I was asking what colour the bridesmaids robes were going to be?" asked Mrs Weasley asked for the third time.

"Oh, right, sorry, my mind just wandered off for a moment.  Ummm, deep magenta.  You know like the Gryffindor colour.  The bridal party are going to be wearing Muggle clothes though, Mrs Weasley; that was the compromise Ron and I came up with.  I'm inviting some Muggle guests, so Ron agreed to wear Muggle clothing and I have to tell my guests about the fact that we're all wizards," replied Hermione.

"How many are coming?" asked Mrs Weasley, smiling at the thought that Ron had the ability to compromise at all, he had always been such a surprise as a child, and always a little volatile in nature.  Molly knew that Hermione was a wonderful girl for her son, bringing out so many hidden facets of his character.

"Only five.  My grandparents, and my Aunt and Uncle and their daughter," said Hermione, as Mr Weasley came into the kitchen.****

"Good morning," said Hermione smiling tentatively as Arthur walked into the room.  'Ummm, could I ask you something, in private, in the lounge room?"

"Sure Hermione, just let me get some tea, and I'll be right in," said Arthur.

Hermione excused herself from Mrs Weasley, who was looking at her inquisitively, wondering what was going on, but minding her business until Hermione or Arthur filled her in.

"What's up Hermione?  I hope Ron's behaving himself and not leaving his clothes all over the house.  Do you want me to have a word with him?" he asked looking at Hermione smiling.

"No, no, it's nothing like that.  Ron's quite wonderful in that respect, even if I have to nag him here and there.  No there's something I want to ask you."

Arthur looked at Hermione more closely.  It looked like she was fighting a battle with her emotions.

"I… I was wondering… and feel free to say no…" she said walking over to the lounge room window, looking out nervously, her hands twisting nervously together.

"Go on, you know you can ask me anything," said Arthur trying not to sound worried at what he might be about to hear.  Hermione was like a second daughter to him, and suddenly he felt concerned for her.

"I was wondering if you would give me away?" she asked as tears welled up in her eyes. "You're the only father I have left now." 

Arthur crossed the room to stand by Hermione at the window putting an arm around her shoulder.  "I would be honored to give you away, you are as much my daughter as Ginny is.  I know you miss your parents, but always know that you can come to us anytime, about anything.  We will always consider you and Harry as our children.  No matter what happens, we'll always be here for you," he said giving her a big, warm, bear hug as a tear slid down Hermione's face.  "Okay?" 

"Thanks, both of you," smiled Hermione tremulously, looking towards Mrs Weasley as she leaned against the doorway from the kitchen.  "You took me in after my parents…… you clothed and fed me during the school holidays, and loved me as one of your own.  I can't tell you how much that has meant to me over the years," she replied smiling, genuine love, for these wonderful people, shining from her eyes.

"Hermione," said Molly entering the room "it's been wonderful to have you as part of our family.  You've been so good for Ron, Ginny, Harry and we love you.  We would never have considered doing anything else."  She crossed the room and gave her a quick hug and a kiss.  "Now, Ron's just arrived and wants to know if you're ready to go?" 

"Oh good, thanks.  I'll just go freshen up first.  Can you tell him I'll be down in a minute?" said Hermione giving Arthur and Molly another quick hug.

"Take your time dear, it won't hurt him to wait a little bit," she smiled wickedly at Hermione, as she climbed the stairs.

~*~

"Remus?  Are you home?" Ron called through the fire.

"Ron?  Yep I'm home.  How are the wedding plans going?" replied Remus.

"Great, thanks.  Do you mind if Hermione and I come over?" asked Ron.

"Sure," said Remus, "I'll go put some tea on…"

Remus walked into the kitchen, put some tea on the stove and summoned three cups.  He had just walked back into the lounge room when he heard two 'pops'. 

"Good afternoon Ron, Professor Granger, or should I say, soon to be Professor Weasley?" said Remus.

"I haven't decided what to be yet," smiled Hermione.  "Oooh, yes please, a cup of tea would be wonderful, thank you" she said as Remus offered them a cup each.

"Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company today?" he asked.

"We were wondering if you've heard from Sirius or Harry lately?" said Ron.

"The last I heard from Sirius was just after he arrived at Anne's" he replied.

"We got this today," Ron said handing Remus the letter from Harry.  "What do you think?"

Remus read and re-read the letter from Harry. "You don't think…" he said looking at Ron then Hermione and back again.

"We were wondering if you would give us the address of where they're staying?" asked Hermione.

"But... you promised Harry you'd let him do this by himself," replied Remus getting up and walking over to the fire and staring into the flames, wondering just what he could do to prevent them from leaving… knowing that there was probably very little he could do.

"Remus, she's my sister… I want her home.  I love her, and I want to be there for her and for Harry," said Ron beginning to get angry.

"Ron," said Hermione putting her hand gently on his arm, "getting upset isn't going to help."

"Remus, please… we've decided that we're going, no matter what.  You would just be saving us a lot of time," said Ron quietly.  "Please?"  His eyes pleaded with Remus.  He was silently praying that he would help them.

"What are you going to tell Arthur and Molly?  They'll wonder where you've gone.  What about work Ron?  Hermione don't you still have a lot of wedding plans to make, you can't just drop everything," said Remus trying to dissuade them.

"Work can do without me for a few days," said Ron adamantly.  "We're not at war at the moment, that I know of."

"And the wedding is still three months away," said Hermione quickly.

"It's less than that actually, Hermione," said Remus, trying to gauge just how serious they were about this.  But he knew from experience that once they'd put their minds to something, they would go ahead with it.

"I DON'T CARE HOW CLOSE IT IS!!" Hermione shouted, suddenly losing control.  "I want my _sister_ back!  Remus looked directly at Hermione, concern and affection for both her and Ron rising to the surface.  Hermione took a deep breath, calmed down a little and continued.  "Ginny and I may not be related, but my best friend and you know she's always been like a sister to me.  I need her to be here for our wedding.  I want her and Harry back NOW!" 

"Hermione, shhhh, it's okay," soothed Ron, wrapping her in his arms, comforting her.  "We have a Portkey booked for 10.00am tomorrow.  If you're going to give us the address, come over before then.  The decision's yours Remus," said Ron.  "Come on Hermione, we have lots to do."

Remus watched as they walked over to where Hermione had left her bag.  "Wait a minute!" he said walking over to his desk.  He summoned a quill and parchment, writing down the address.  "Here.  Say hi to everyone for me, I'd come with you, but its nearly the full moon," said Remus handing Ron the address.  "Once you get there you'll have to catch the Knight Bus from the Portkey office to Anne's place."

"Thank you" Ron and Hermione replied before Disapparating.

~*~

"Amos, please I just need a week," pleaded Ron through the fire.

"Ron, I'm sorry.  If I could spare you I would, you know that," replied Amos Diggory.  "Can you at least tell me why you need it?"****

"I want to, you know that, but… oh boy," Ron ran his hands through his hair, hoping Amos would keep their plans a secret.  After all they had a fought a war together.  "Listen Amos, you can't tell anyone.  Okay?  I mean not a soul," said Ron.  He continued as Amos Diggory nodded in answer.  "We think Harry has found Ginny.  He was a bit vague in his letter, but we just have a hunch.  Hermione and I want to go to Australia to help."

"I'll see what I can do.  I might be able to get McMillan to cover you, okay?  If I can it will only be a week, maximum, got it?  Leave the details to me, just be careful," said Amos.  He paused, looking at Ron with a smirk on his face.  "This is emotional blackmail you realise?  You know I can't say no to anything to do with Harry Potter, or you finding Ginny."

"Thanks Amos.  I'll be back in a week.  I've gotta go, bye!" said Ron as the floo call ended.

"Hermione, I got a week's leave," Ron called up the stairs.

"She's at Mums," a voice said from the front door.

"Penelope, what are you doing here?" Ron asked whipping around in surprise, wondering what she was doing at The Notch.  She'd never made a visit to them unannounced.  She and Percy usually popped their heads in the fire before coming over.

"Hermione asked me to come around to help you pack.  For some reason she doesn't trust you to pack for her," Penelope added grinning from ear to ear.  Ron just stood there and blushed the colour of his hair.

"Ummm… did she tell you where we were going?" asked Ron cautiously, hoping his Mum hadn't sent her to find out what they were up to.

"She did, and don't worry I won't tell anyone.  Now she said you were going to Australia.  It's winter over there at this time of year, so you'll need warm clothes."

~ * ~

As Ginny played the final chords of music, she glanced down into the crowd.  She'd tried to keep her emotions in check during that song, but it had been so hard.

The crowd, who had been completely silent throughout the song, broke into applause.  If they weren't already standing, they stood up and gave Ginny an ovation.  She smiled out to the room, wiping the solitary tear away with her fingertips, looking at faces that had become so familiar to her; she was so grateful to be allowed to do what she did.  At that moment she felt like the luckiest girl in the world, almost.

She'd done it.  She actually finished the song, sung it in public and dedicated it to Harry.  She hadn't really meant to do that actually.  Not consciously anyway.  That had been an impulsive gesture, but she was glad she had.  It was her love song about him, for him, to him.

As she glanced up, and at that precise moment, the crowd parted and she saw him.

"Harry?" she whispered into the microphone, forgetting for a moment that she was still on stage.


	7. The Pub

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Authors Notes: **Here is the next chapter… Don't forget to Review!! :) 

The song in the last chapter is 'Lost Without You' by the Australian artist Delta Goodrem and the song in this chapter is the theme song from the TV series Cheers

Hope you enjoy this chapter… :) Rhiain & Carolyn… 

**Chapter 7**

**The Pub**

~*~

_"Harry?" she whispered into the microphone, forgetting for a moment that she was still on stage._

Harry's body jolted in shock.  For the first time in three years Ginny's beautiful, deep brown eyes were looking at him.  Wide with shock of course, but her glance clung to him, even though it was only for the merest second.

The crowd moved again, still applauding wildly.  Emily was watching Ginny carefully, and although the crowd hadn't reacted when she'd said Harry's name, she'd heard Ginny and knew that she'd seen Harry.

She hurried to Ginny's side, grabbing her in a hug and clutching her tightly, motioning to Fred to turn the sound off for a second.

"You were fantastic, just brilliant," said Emily excitedly, hoping she could keep Ginny's focus in the here and now, and not on Harry.  She knew that Harry would want time to collect himself after that song, _and_ after being discovered.

"How did you know the words?" began Ginny.  "No, never mind… you and I will talk later."  She lowered her eyelids for a fraction and then looked up again at Emily.  "I just saw him Emily.  I saw Harry, I swear it, he's here!"

She could hardly contain herself.  Ginny was nervous, scared, terrified, anxious, desperate, a million thoughts blew through her mind in an instant, and then she looked at Emily suddenly, "I have to go find him Em."

"Oh no you don't," said Emily, quickly grabbing a hold of Ginny before she could fly off the stage.  "You have to finish the set.  Everyone's waiting." 

"I saw him Emily, I did!  I wasn't seeing things," Ginny said breathlessly.

"I believe you, but please… just finish the set.  You don't want to disappoint the crowd now do you?" finished Emily convincingly, eyebrows raised, knowing that if nothing else, Ginny was a professional.

Ginny looked torn; glancing quickly to the crowd, back to the band, who were waiting patiently, and back to Emily.  "That's blackmail you know… but okay."  She took a deep breath.  "Will you stay and sing with me?"

"Sure," said Emily, turning at once to Fred and indicating to turn the volume up on their mics.

The crowd were starting to quieten down now, looking at Ginny expectantly.  Emily moved back to the stand-alone mic.  Ginny faced the audience, smiling tremulously.

"Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!  So now that I've got my best friend on stage with me, we're going to finish off with your favourite song, and ours!"  Incredibly, Ginny was grinning from ear to ear.  She looked as though she hadn't a care in the world, but her body and mind were a mass of conflicting emotions, wanting answers to questions that she hadn't really had a chance to formulate yet.

"Soooo, let's really rock this place okay!!!" she beamed over her shoulder to Shane, who counted in to the song with his drumsticks and off they went.  As the intro started, Ginny spoke again, "I want to see hands in the air, lighters up high, with all the moves and groves.  Where's my dance team?"

There was a regular group of friends that always came up to the front to lead the rest of the pub in the moves and groves that they'd made up to this particular song.

"Okay," said Ginny, "the short version tonight I think guys."

~ * ~

Meanwhile, at the back of the pub, Harry still hadn't moved, even though Ginny had spoken his name out loud.

"Harry, are you okay?" queried Sirius, a smirk crossing his face.

"Yeah, fine. I… I'm…"

"Lost for words?" Sirius slapped him on the back, jolting Harry back to the present.

"What should I do?" Harry turned and looked Sirius right in the eye, fear and nerves showing clearly on his face.  "Emily said I should wait until this set was finished and then apparate backstage and wait for her.  But that was before she saw me!"

He was a bundle of nerves.

Anne reached over and covered Harry's hand with her own, squeezing it gently, shifting his focus to her.  The kind, understanding expression in her eyes instantly calming him.  "I think you should go and see her Harry.  It's time.  I think she's as ready as she's ever going to be."

"Anne's right, Harry.  Don't miss another opportunity, when this one is presenting itself to you.  She's here, right in front of you, she's seen you.  You've waited a long time for this.  You both deserve to be with each other," Sirius finished, his bright, blue eyes boring into Harry's.

Harry turned back to watch Ginny and Emily on stage, nervous knots twisting in his guts, knowing that in a few minutes time he might be able to hold Ginny close once more.

Singing the blues when the home teams lose

It's a crisis in your life.

On the run 'cause all your girlfriends

Wanna be your wife!

_Wouldn't you like to get away?_

He couldn't help smiling though.  In all his travels, he had never seen a crowd behave quite like this.  The Australian's certainly were a different breed of social animal.

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name.

And they're always glad you came.

You want to be where you can see,

Our troubles are all the same;

You want to be where everybody knows your name.

He watched as Ginny and Emily totally hammed it up on stage.  The band were having a great time, as were the "dance team" that Ginny had mentioned.  They were all down the front dancing in unison.

You want to go where people know,

People are all the same;

_You want to go where everybody knows your name._

The crowd was singing along; they knew _all_ the words.  Harry turned to Sirius who was as transfixed by the crowd, as Harry had previously been by Ginny.  They looked at each other for a moment, then broke out laughing, Anne joining them, giggling uncontrollably.

"I've never seen this side of Ginny before," stated Sirius in amazement.  She was really letting her hair down.

Ginny was having a ball.  She was positive that she'd seen Harry in the audience, but for the moment she was letting that go.  If he really was here, she doubted he would disappear now.  After all this time, she realised that it wasn't coincidental.  He had obviously been looking for her; but she just really wanted to have fun with this last number.

Making your way in the world today

Takes everything you've got.

Taking a break from all your worries

Sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

All those nights when you've got no lights,

The cheque is in the mail.

And your little angel

Hung the cat up by its tail.

And your third fiancé didn't show.

Emily was revving up the crowd for the next round of the chorus.  It was good to see Ginny smile.  Emily couldn't help but wonder what would happen when they had finished for the night.  She was mentally keeping her fingers crossed, for both Ginny _and_ Harry.

She glanced towards Harry, who still hadn't moved and then almost laughed in the middle of singing when she saw the look on Sirius' face.

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name.

And they're always glad you came.

You want to be where you can see

Our troubles are all the same.

You want to be where everybody knows your name.

You want to go where people know,

People are all the same.

_You want to go where everybody knows your name._

As the song came to a close; Ginny thanked everyone, bidding the crowd goodnight; the crowd gave a final round of applause.  Ginny glanced out into the crowd again looking for Harry… and left the stage, before Emily could say another word.

Ginny ran down the steps at the side of the stage.  She knew she'd seen Harry in the crowd, during her solo.  If she really _had _seen him, she had to find him.  After her hurried conversation with Emily between songs, she'd made the decision that if she saw him again in the crowd, she would go to him.

It was ironic.  Earlier she'd been contemplating sending him an owl after all this time, but now he was here… she _knew_ it was him, she could almost feel his presence in the room.  She moved through the crowd as quickly as possible, everyone stopping to congratulate her on the performance.  Normally she loved talking with the audience, but tonight all she wanted to do was find Harry.  She continued through the crowd to where she thought she had seen him, when she ran into someone.

"Sorry" she said not even looking up.

"That okay Gin," said Sirius.

She had already passed the voice, but something made her stop.  She new that voice.  She looked over her shoulder to find the source.  "Sirius?  Wh…?  What are you doing here?" asked a shocked Ginny turning back to face him.

"I'm here to support Harry, and you too if you need it," said Sirius putting a hand on Ginny's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.  "Now go and talk to him… he's waiting for you by the stage door.  We'll wait for you here."

"O... Okay…" said Ginny slowly turning around, in somewhat of daze.

As she slowly walked back to the stage door, she saw him waiting for her.  He hadn't seen her yet.  She stopped, terrified all of a sudden, fear and indecision warring inside her head.  She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.  She could either run again or she could face him, _and_ her past, once and for all.

She calmed herself, and walked towards him.  Her stomach felt like she had chocolate frogs jumping around inside, which hadn't had the incantation taken off.

"Harry," she said walking over to him and touching his arm to get his attention.  He turned to her, smiling gently.

"Ginny," Harry spoke her name on a breath exhaled.  He felt nervous and excited to see her so close.  To have her touch him again.

He couldn't stop himself; he gathered her up in his arms, holding her close, revelling in being able to touch her again, feeling their hearts beat wildly fast, but instinctively in time with each other.  As he pulled back, his lips brushed her cheek and he reluctantly let her go.  "I know it's been a while, but can we talk?"

"Come with me," she said, capturing his hand in hers without hesitation.

He followed her through the stage door and down the hall to the band's change room.  She opened the door and was horrified by the sight that greeted them.

In a split second her eyes took in the whole scene; Fred, Shane and Phil were gagged and bound up in chairs with terrified looks on their faces, Emily was lying on the floor, with a terrified look on her face, as if she was trying her hardest not to scream, and standing over her was Draco Malfoy, his wand pointing directly at her chest, and an evil smirk on his face.

"Leave her alone Malfoy" said Harry hotly, drawing his wand the instant he'd seen Draco, ready to duel.

"Or what Potter?" whipped back Malfoy.  Before anyone could react, Draco had removed the curse from Emily and muttered a spell at Harry.   Harry didn't have a chance to duck, it hit him squarely in the chest and he crumpled to the ground like a rag doll, unconscious.

"Look at the hero of the wizarding world now," smirked Draco, smirking evilly before disapparating.

"_Harry!_," cried out Ginny, turning away from Emily to see if he was okay.

"Mmrf, mmrf" came from the three boys tied up.

Ginny turned back to Emily, who was still lying collapsed on the floor with fatigue, breathing hard, and asked, "Do you have your wand on you?"

A small nod was all Emily could muster.  Ginny leaned over and pulled Emily's wand out of the hidden pocket in her pants.

"_Finite Incantatem_" she said pointing the wand firstly at Fred, Phil and then Shane in turn.  "Are you three okay?" she said looking at the boys.

"We're okay, what happened?" Fred asked, as the bindings that had held the three of them prisoner, magically fell away.

"I need one of you to do me a HUGE favor, no questions asked, _please_… I'll explain everything later okay?" she asked looking at her three friends.

"Sure, what can we do?" asked Fred.

"Can you go out and find Emily's mum, Anne, and a man named Sirius?" she said grabbing her bag off the table and fumbling around in her bag.  She handed Fred a photo of Harry, Sirius and herself at her graduation. "You need to find him," she said pointing to Sirius.  "Bring them both back here."

"Okay, I'll be back in a sec," said Fred running out the door.

"Shane, can you help Emily into a comfortable position?  Please be gentle though, she's in a lot of pain," said Ginny moving over to Harry.

"Phil, I need your help here.  I don't know what spell he was hit with, but whatever it was, it's knocked him unconscious,"  Ginny kept listening for signs of Fred returning with the others.

"Come on Sirius, Anne, I need your help," she muttered to herself, sitting next to Harry checking his vital signs the Muggle way, allowing herself the luxury of looking over every inch of his face for the first time in almost three years.  "What am I doing...?" she asked herself, instantly frustrated.  She pulled Emily's wand out and cast a diagnostic charm, swearing quietly to herself.  She walked over to Emily and cast the charm again.  "Oh no, Cruciatus, where's Snape when you need him?" she said to herself.  "We'll get you to a hospital soon Em.. won't be long now," she said soothingly to Emily, gently pushing the fringe out of her eyes.

"Phil," she said sharply, "would you go and help Fred?  Please be quick, we don't have a lot of time."

Before Phil could get to his feet they heard voices in the corridor.  "Ginny?  Ginny where are you?" she heard Sirius and Anne call, from down the hallway.

"Down here, third door on your right," Ginny called out, standing up and moving to the doorway, sounding remarkably calm despite the feeling of hysteria that was bubbling up insider her.  Sirius and Anne ran down the hallway towards Ginny, Fred close behind looking very confused and worried.

"We need to get them to a hospital… Emily has been hit by the Cruciatus Curse, and Harry… oh God Sirius..." her voice catching in her throat, "I don't know what hit him…" said Ginny breaking down in tears.  She walked over to Harry and crouched down beside him onto her knees.  "Harry… oh God Harry… don't leave me!  You can't… I just got you back…" she whispered between sobs.

"Ginny… Ginny dear, you need to take Fred, Phil and Shane back to your dorm.  Get your wand and take this with you," instructed Anne gently, handing Ginny an old quill.  "It's a Portkey," Anne explained at the look on Ginny's face.  "Sirius and I will follow you in just a minute with Harry and Emily.  We'll see you soon.  Okay?"  Anne gave her a swift kiss on the cheek, in comfort.

Ginny nodded numbly, her breath ragged with emotion, tears blinding her, before she left taking the boys with her.  They could hardly take their eyes off the scene as they closed the door behind them, and left the pub from the quieter, rear entrance.

"Sirius, do you know where Harry's invisibility cloak is?"

"Yep, I'll be right back," Sirius said before disapparating.  Before long he was back, kneeling beside Anne, who was gently holding Emily, so as not to hurt her any further.  Emily had lost consciousness, but apart from that seemed okay, much to Anne's relief.  "I've brought mine too.  There won't be enough room for four grown up people under only one."

"Sirius, you take Harry and I'll take Em" Anne said.  "We've just got to get a few blocks back to the girls' dorm room and we don't want to attract any attention by being seen carrying these two down the street," she finished looking at Sirius worriedly.

~*~

In the meantime, the boys had followed Ginny back to the girls' dorm room, Ginny urging them to hurry the whole way.

Ginny ran up the stairs, panting.  They had run all the way from the pub, using the back streets, until they came around the side, to the front of her dorm building.

"Grace!!  Wait up!!" yelled Fred as he followed Grace up the stairs; she wasn't waiting for the elevator.

"No time... hurry!" she called to them as she opened the door to their room and ran inside.  She went straight to their bedroom and began to dig around in her bedside table where she pulled out a silver box, lined with purple velvet.  The box had been a graduation present from Harry.  Her wand had lived in it ever since she had run away.  She also pulled out what looked like a small ring box.  She waved her wand over it and it expanded to be her Hogwarts trunk.

"What the hell?" she heard Fred, Shane and Phil exclaim as she started digging around in the trunk looking frantically for something.

"Here it is, thank God I still have it," she said to herself as she shrunk her trunk again and put what she'd found in her pocket, and turned to face the boys, who were, quite frankly, looking at her as if she was a complete stranger.

She didn't have time to explain about her trunk, or that she'd been looking for the necklace Harry had given her their first Christmas together.  She'd taken it off and hidden it as soon as she'd been captured by Death Eaters - she hadn't wanted to lose it, or have it taken away from her out of spite.  She'd always worn it.  But after running away, she'd left it off, as it was too constant a reminder of how Harry had felt about her, something that she didn't want to think about, whilst running away from him.

"Do you trust me?" she asked the three boys; they answered by nodding their heads.  She knew they were probably freaked out by what had happened, but she just prayed that they would do what they were told until there was time to answer their questions.

"Okay, you're going to need to put one finger on this," she said pulling the quill out from her pants.  The three boys eyed her cautiously.  "It won't bite" she said holding it out to the boys; they did as she asked.  "We just need to wait for the others to arrive, they won't be long."

Even as she spoke, the door swung open to reveal an empty hallway.  "Ginny, help us please, they're getting heavy," said Anne, panting slightly, from beneath one of the cloaks.

Ginny, felt out into the empty space, gently felt around and then whipped off one invisibility cloak and then the other.  The boys just stood there, jaws dropping in amazement.

"Alright," said Anne, "all we need to do is touch the Portkey.  Ginny, can you activate it for us?  It's already programmed to take us back to my place," explained Anne to the boys.

"_Portus_," Ginny murmured, touching her wand to the quill and activating the Portkey.  "You'll feel a pulling sensation behind your navel."  Ginny, Fred, Shane, Phil, Anne [holding Emily] and Sirius [holding Harry], all felt a pulling sensation, and then they were gone from the girls room.

~*~

"I just remembered why I hate Portkey's," said Ginny as she landed on top of Fred, Phil and Shane.

"What the _hell_ just happened!" yelled Shane.

"Where are we?" asked Phil.

"Cool!" said Fred.  He couldn't quite wipe the grin off his face, despite the obvious seriousness of the situation, even if he didn't understand what was going on.

"Anne, let's get Emily and Harry upstairs immediately," said Sirius, "we'll figure out what to do up there."

"Okay, let's go, a little help would be great," asked Anne, looking at Ginny.  She was struggling with Emily who was a still unconscious and very heavy.

"Can I trust you three to behave yourselves while I'm upstairs?  I'll be back in a minute" said Ginny to the trio.

"Grace, wait…" Ginny paused at the bottom of the stairs and turned.  "The guy who did this… he gave me this to give to Harry and someone named Ginny," said Fred handing Ginny the envelope.

"Thanks, I'm Ginny.  I'll explain soon, I won't be long…" she said taking the envelope, and stuffing it into the back of her pants and running up the stairs.

"Anne?  Sirius?  Is everyone okay?" asked Ginny as she ran up the stairs and into Emily's room.  "How's Emily?  Harry?"  Sirius had laid Harry down on Emily's bed, and Anne was gently lowering Emily into a chair in the corner of her bedroom.  A chair wasn't really an apt description for it.  It was so huge you could easily curl up and go to sleep in it.

"I need to go and make a Post Cruciatus potion, and we're not sure what curse hit Harry," explained Sirius, making his way out of the room and down into the kitchen.

Sirius had been down there about twenty minutes, when Ginny, who had been kneeling on the floor by Harry, looking numb and shocked, smacked herself in the head with the palm of her hand and said, "Oh for goodness sake, I have a Post Cruciatus potion in my trunk, one of Snape's…" Ginny said urgently, standing up and pulling her trunk out of her pocket and enlarging it.

After searching for a few seconds she found what she was looking for.  "Here it is,"  Ginny pointed her wand at the phial, muttered a charm, smiling.   She walked over to Emily and helped her drink it.  "I'll go tell Sirius to come back up" said Ginny.

~*~

"Oh bollocks…!" growled Sirius, irritably, looking frustrated at the ingredients spread out around him, and throwing filthy looks at the cauldron.

"Sirius?" asked Ginny.

"Ginny!"  Sirius jumped, turning to face her, not realising she was in the room.  "Sorry, I didn't mean to swear," said Sirius.

"It's okay, you should hear me sometimes, I've heard much worse…" she said smiling weakly.  "I came to tell you that you can stop making the potion.  I remembered that I had a Post Cruciatus potion in my trunk.  I gave Emily what I had left over from my NEWT in Potions," Sirius was about to speak, so Ginny continued, "Snape taught us to put everlasting charms on them."

"Thank goodness for that.  I can't believe I mucked it up…" he said, looking at the mess on the kitchen table.  He banished them to the rubbish bin with a flick of his wand, and continued "but then, Potions was never my best subject.  How are you holding up?" he asked after a few seconds.

"I think I'm still in shock" she said sitting at the kitchen table.  "I mean I can't imagine what he's been through trying to track me down all these years, but he did, and then he finds me after all this time and he... he will be okay won't he?" she asked, her voice breaking as tears welled up in her eyes, her hands clenched tightly together in her lap.  "I don't want to lose him again, Sirius."

"You won't Ginny.  He'll be fine, Harry's a fighter," said Sirius walking around the table and pulling her into a hug, "he always has been."  They didn't break apart until they heard Anne call frantically from upstairs.

"Ginny!  Sirius!  Come quickly!"

Ginny and Sirius ran up the stairs followed by Fred, Phil and Shane, who had been waiting in the lounge room, wondering what on earth was going on.

"What happened?"

"Is he okay? asked Sirius and Ginny at the same time.

"I think I've worked it out," said Anne.

"What is it?" asked Sirius.

"From what I can tell, the curse is supposed to replicate the symptoms of what happens to the body when it shuts down in the final minutes before death, but… Harry has been like this for over an hour now… if the spell was done correctly he'd be dead by now.  But whatever magic was performed, I don't think it was done properly.  I just can't think of what to do to reverse it," said Anne shaking her head.

"Could… could the person who did this… could they have told us how to fix it in the letter I gave you Grace?" said Fred rather nervously, looking at Ginny, knowing this was probably a long shot, given that he didn't know what the hell was going on.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," said Emily who was now conscious and alert.  "I saw him give the letter to Fred.  Where is it?"

"Here," Ginny said handing the envelope to Emily, "I… can't…"

"It's okay…" said Emily, taking the note from Ginny.

**_Potter & Weasley,_**

****

**_Don't think I couldn't have killed all of you today.  This was just a warning of what is to come.  You will pay for destroying Voldemort, I will see to it personally._**

****

**_I'm closer than you realise._**

****

**_DM_**

****

"Who's DM?" asked Emily.

"Draco Malfoy, Harry's arch enemy.  His father was a Death Eater," replied Sirius.

"It doesn't say anything about what he did to Harry," said Emily.

"Can I have a look Em?" said Sirius taking the letter from Emily.  "Hang on, there's something else…," he said pulling out a scrap of parchment.  It read '_Finite Incantatem'_'. "It couldn't be that easy.  Could it?" he asked out loud, looking at Anne.

"Well we won't know if we don't try," she said.  "_Finite Incantatem_" she said pointing her wand at Harry.

Harry's eyelids fluttered open.  The first thing he saw was Ginny by his side.  He groaned, trying to sit up, but fell back weakly.

"What the hell happened?" asked Harry groggily, reaching for Ginny's hand.


	8. Explanations

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended

**Authors Notes: **Thanks again for all your reviews, Here is the next chapter I hope you enjoy it!!

Don't forget to review!! 

Rhiain & Carolyn…

**Chapter 8**

**Explanations**

~*~

"Harry…" said Ginny squeezing his hand.  A million thoughts were racing through her head, but mostly she just wanted to find out how he was.  "How do you feel?"

"I'm tired, sore, what happened?" he asked looking around at everyone questioningly.

"Malfoy wants retribution on you and Ginny for killing Voldemort," said Sirius, looking sombre.

"I... I'm sorry for interrupting… but… why is everyone calling Grace, Ginny?" asked Fred worriedly, voicing what his friends were probably thinking.

"Because that's her real name.  Ginny Weasley, not Grace Evans," said Emily, before she was interrupted by Harry.

"Evans?" Harry asked Ginny.  It was his mother's maiden name before she married James; and she'd chosen that as her alias surname?  The fact that she'd kept a part of his life with her all this time…

"Yeah… I wanted to have something to remind me of you, in a small way, everyday," said Ginny quietly, looking at Harry.  He was watching her carefully, watching all her expressions; they were like old friends he'd not seen for a while.  It was comforting to see that her smile hadn't changed.

"It's funny though.  Do you remember the necklace you gave me that first Christmas we were together?"  Harry nodded, his eyes flicking to her neckline looking for it.  Ginny noticed where his eyes had looked and explained.  "No, I took it off just after I was captured, but I couldn't bring myself to put it back on again.  It just reminded me too much of you."

"And yet you used my mothers maiden name?" Harry asked, a little puzzled.

"Yeah, well that's not your surname, so it's not a direct link to you, more of a side-step," Ginny explained nervously, hoping he wasn't making the wrong conclusions from this little explanation.

"Hang on," interrupted Fred, "you mentioned someone killing Volde-whatsits?  What happened?"  Fred looked as though he had a whole list of questions in his head, just bursting to come out.

"Do you think we could have a question and answer session tomorrow?" asked Sirius as he yawned, "I'm beat."

"How are you feeling Em?" asked Harry.

"I'm stiff, sore and completely exhausted" she replied.

"Do you three mind staying the night?" Anne asked Fred, Phil and Shane.  "You'll be safer here, than at home in Melbourne."

"Sure, but we haven't exactly come prepared," said Fred once again taking the role of spokesperson.

"That's easily fixed" said Sirius going into his and Harry's room returning with three pairs of pyjamas.

"You travel with more than one pair of pyjamas?" asked Harry, unable to keep the laughter out of his voice.

"No!" he said indignantly. "I just transfigured some parchment.  I didn't want to shock these three any more than we already have tonight," he said as he handed the pyjamas to the trio.

"What's parchment?" asked Shane doubtfully.

"Do you mind if we leave the explanations to tomorrow?" said Sirius.  "I promise we'll answer all of your questions as thoroughly as we can, it's just been a really big day.  Okay?"

Anne looked at the group thoughtfully, then said, "I think you three will have to sleep downstairs.  Sirius will you help me set up down there, you boys can use the bathroom across the hall if you want," she said as she and Sirius walked out of the room.

During the whole conversation Emily had been watching Harry and Ginny.  Harry was holding onto Ginny's hand as if he was scared she would disappear again and Ginny was staring at Harry, familiarising herself with every detail of his face again.

"Guys I think I'll join you downstairs tonight, these two need some privacy," she said tilting her head at Harry and Ginny.  "Would one of you help me please?" Fred walked over and helped Emily to a standing position.  "God I hate that bastard!" she mumbled to herself as her whole body winced in pain.  Fred looked down at Emily, tightened his arms around her and helped her stand up.  "I need to get my PJ's" she said pointing to the chest of drawers in the corner.

Fred helped Emily to look through her chest of drawers trying to find a decent pair of pyjamas.  In the end she settled on a pair of green flannelette pyjama pants with teddy bears on them and a baggy old t-shirt that said 'Melbourne Academy of Magic' on it.

Fred smiled surreptitiously to himself, but refrained from commenting – most unusual for him.  He helped her down the stairs, being as gentle as he possibly could with her.  She was wincing every step she took.

When she got downstairs, her mum and Sirius had three mattresses laid out on the floor with pillows and doona's on each.

"What are you doing down here?  You should be upstairs resting," her mum said as soon as she saw her.

"I think Harry and Ginny need some privacy tonight, I'll just camp out on the couch," she replied.

"No you will not!  You have just been attacked with dark magic!  You should be spending the night in St Mungo's, not on the couch!" said Anne going into over-protective mother mode.   She paused for a moment thinking about the sleeping arrangements of everyone in the house. "Well, if Harry and Ginny are in your room, Em, then you can share mine and Sirius can have Harry's room to himself.  Is that okay?" Anne looked at them both, waiting for a response.

"Anne, why doesn't Emily take Harry's room, and I'll sleep on the couch downstairs with the boys," Sirius suggested.

"Actually, Sirius," Anne added quietly, "I think the boys need some privacy as well, to sort some of this out in their heads before we have a chat tomorrow.  If you sleep down there with them, they probably won't let you get any sleep, and you need sleep as much as the rest of us."  Anne considered the situation at hand.  "I think the best solution is for Emily to share with me for tonight and you can take Harry's room, okay?"

Sirius was looking at Anne carefully.  She was such a great person.  She always thought about the big picture, taking everyone's needs into consideration.  It had been so great to arrive here and discover her opening the door.  He wondered why Remus hadn't just told him who he being sent to?  He didn't have time to worry about the answer just at that moment, he was just really grateful that their paths had crossed again, after all these years.

"Sirius?  Is that okay with you?"  Anne repeated, smiling at him, curiosity showing in her eyes.  He'd been staring at her, without realising it.

Sirius blinked once.  "Umm, yeah sure, you're right Anne," said Sirius mentally shaking his head.

"Good.  Well, Sirius if you could get the boys settled here, I'll get Emily back upstairs to bed," said Anne, turning her attention to Emily, but still wondering about the look she'd seen in Sirius's eyes a moment ago.

Sirius called up the stairs to hurry the boys out of the bathroom.  They came downstairs, passing Anne and Emily, and then Sirius helped them get settled.  Once they were settled on a bed each, he looked at them, hoping they wouldn't run off in the middle of the night.  He was still worried about Malfoy being on the loose.

"Okay," said Sirius, after explaining where Emily had gone.  "I can understand that you're probably confused and shocked right now, but can I ask you to think about the questions you want to ask, and we'll sit down and answer them tomorrow?  Okay?" said Sirius seriously.

"Will you be honest with us?" asked Shane.

"I promise."

"Is the guy upstairs the same person she wrote that song for?" asked Fred unable to stop himself asking this question.

"Yes.  Ginny is his best friends' younger sister.  They started dating in Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts, when she was fourteen.  Now time for sleep!  It's two am," replied Sirius, trying to stifle another yawn and not succeeding.

"Night, and thanks for everything," said Fred.

"That's okay, anytime.  Night," said Sirius heading into the kitchen.

~*~

Anne walked back down the stairs after putting Emily to bed; Emily's head hardly hitting the pillow before she was asleep.

"I made you your favourite," said Sirius levitating a cup of green tea over to her.

"Thanks, I was just coming down to make one," she replied, plucking her cup from mid-air, sitting down and taking a sip.  Anne glanced up towards the ceiling, Sirius catching her eye and looking at her enquiringly.

"I was just wondering how it's going up there," she asked.  "I mean I know it's none of our business, but… I just hope they work through it together.  It would be a shame if things didn't work out after all this time."

"They'll be fine Anne," soothed Sirius encouragingly.  "They're both grown up now, much as I hate to admit it."

'Yeah, they grow up so fast don't they?" Anne mused, thinking back over her life with Emily, then suddenly realising that Sirius had never had that opportunity.  Not really.  "Sorry Sirius, I know you don't have a child of your own, but… you and Harry seem so much like father and son, it's easy to forget that you're not his…" her voice drifted off.  The silence hung in the kitchen.

Sirius regarded Anne closely.  "It's okay.  I'm not offended," he said trying to look like it hadn't bothered him, when in fact it had.  He was always conscious of the fact that he wasn't Harry's father, and was only a stand-in for the real thing.  "It's easy to look back and regret so many things.  I'd change a lot if I could, but we just have to play the cards we're dealt, don't we?"  He got up from the kitchen table quietly, came and stood around behind Anne, bent and kissed the top of her head softly.  "Thanks."

"What for?" replied Anne, shivering slightly from his gentle touch.

"For having such a great daughter, in Emily," Sirius came around her chair and crouched down at Anne's feet, and took her right hand in his left one.  "She could have been the wrong witch for Ginny to meet up with after all this time.  Thank Merlin, she turned out to be who she was.  And she's so great, because of you," Sirius smiled up at Anne, before releasing her hand, standing up and walking to the staircase to go upstairs.

"When did you get to be so charming?" smiled Anne mischievously.

"What do you mean?  I've always been charming," Sirius replied, smiling bemusedly at Anne in the dark.  "If Lily were still alive, she'd agree, so would James."  His smile faltered at the memory of his best friends; it was still painful, even after all these years.

Anne saw the change come over his face, and her heart went out to him.

Sirius's eyes took on this vacant look.  He was staring, at nothing in particular, almost forgetting he was talking to Anne.  "It's my fault you know, their deaths.  I don't think I'll ever really be able to forgive myself for failing them," he whispered quietly, as if to himself.

Anne rose swiftly from the table and went to him, wishing that they could somehow change the past.  "I wish things could have been different Sirius, but like you said, we play the cards we're dealt, and," grasping both his hands in hers, making him look at her, "you're making up for it now aren't you?"  Her eyes bored into his, captivating him completely.  "I know we haven't spoken about the war against Voldemort in great detail, but I don't need to see a written report to wonder how many times you protected Harry, Ginny, Remus, the Weasley's and countless others, not to mention the lives I know you've saved along the way."

Sirius gulped, his eyes shining with tears.  He broke her gaze and just looked down at their hands, squeezing Anne's tightly in reply.  "Thank you.  What in God's name is wrong with me today?" he said, confusion written all over his face.

"It's like you said to Harry, there's time now, to feel the emotions that are worth feeling Sirius.  You're not in survival mode anymore.  Try listening to your own advice.  I know you, remember?  And you were always being the tough guy, never wearing your heart on your sleeve – except maybe around James, Lily and Remus – always so in control, all the time."

He looked lost.

Anne smiled.  "Yes, well you certainly don't look like a powerful wizard who's broken every Hogwarts rule to the nth degree, defied the magical legal system and conquered Voldemort.  Where's the macho man gone?"  Anne couldn't help herself, she started giggling, hand over her mouth to muffle the noise.

Sirius actually looked uncomfortable for the first time in his life, though he tried to smile.  He knew Anne was just teasing.  But he wasn't used to being on the receiving end, especially when it was being directed at him from a woman other than Lily.  The last time he'd had this type of exchange was twenty years ago.

Anne stopped laughing and became sombre.  "I hope Lily's watching.  She'd be so proud of who you've become, and what you are to Harry."  She paused a moment.  "I think maybe you should get some sleep.  Why don't you go on up?  I'll just clear the cups away, check on the boys and I'll be right behind you, I promise," she said shooing him upstairs.  "Goodnight Sirius."

"G'night Anne," Sirius replied as he walked quietly up the staircase.  "See you in the morning."

~*~

Meanwhile, in Emily's bedroom, Ginny was still kneeling on the floor beside the bed, holding Harry's hand and gently brushing his hair out of his eyes with the other.  The boys were in the bathroom getting ready for bed, and everyone else was downstairs for the moment.  Ginny was pretty sure they'd leave them alone for the night; she cast the Silent Bedchamber Charm so that they wouldn't keep anyone else awake if they… umm… talked all night.  She didn't dare hope it would be more than that.  She was just glad Harry was alive and beside her again.

Harry couldn't take his eyes off her.  He could hardly believe that this was all happening; that she hadn't run away again.  He was speechless, and Ginny looked as though she didn't know what to say either.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Ginny anxiously, after a lengthy pause.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Harry hesitantly.  He searched his heart for the right thing to say to her first.  "It's funny, you know," the corners of his mouth tilting upwards slightly, "I've been imagining this conversation for so long, and now the moment's actually arrived, I'm not sure what to say."

Ginny's heart stopped beating for a second, wondering what he meant by that; but she didn't have to wonder for long.  Harry raised himself up on his elbow, caught Ginny's head with his other hand, guiding her head downwards, closer and closer until their lips touched, ever so gently.  His lips moved slowly over hers, coaxing them open, slowly re-introducing himself to her in a way he knew she would understand; he wanted to her to feel how he still felt about her.

Ginny's heart thudded loudly in her chest.  Every fibre in her being was tingling with a tantalising deliciousness.  It was weird.  All at once she felt like this was the first time she was kissing Harry, and yet years of memories were flooding her brain; their first kiss in the Gryffindor common room, their first Christmas together, after Gryffindor won the Quidditch House Cup in his final year, his graduation day, her graduation day after he gave her that beautiful wand case; she clutched Harry closer, her hands snaking their way through his hair, savouring the touch of lips against hers, never wanting to leave him, ever again.

Reluctantly, Harry pulled away from Ginny, but not before trailing his lips along her jaw line to just under her earlobe and descending along her collarbone.  He pulled away with a sigh, his brilliant green eyes drinking in the sight of her, sparkling with suppressed desire.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, not able to meet his gaze.  "I'm so sorry, I don't even know how to begin to ask for your forgiveness."

Harry gently tilted her chin with his fingers, so he could look Ginny eye to eye.  "You crazy, wonderful, beautiful girl.  What do I have to forgive you for?"

"Bu… I… you saw me.  I killed Neville," Ginny stammered, unshed tears swimming in her eyes; she kept her emotions in check though.  It wouldn't do any good to lose it now.  Harry deserved explanations and apologies, not tears and mushiness.

"Think about what you're saying Ginny.  You know that isn't true," Harry replied, determined to make her realise, here and now, that Voldemort had killed Neville.  "Ginny, I know that at the time, there wouldn't have been much that anyone would have been able to say to convince you otherwise, but with distance and perspective – can't you see?  You were an unwilling instrument of evil, not evil itself.  Voldemort was evil – incarnate.  There was nothing you could have done, nothing.  Please don't blame yourself anymore, please…"

Harry was looking deep into her eyes, pleading with every fibre in his being to convince her to release the burden of guilt that she'd been carrying around since his birthday, three years ago.

Ginny was looking nervous, unsure of herself, thinking of what she'd been living with since that night, her eyes sweeping nervously around the room, looking anywhere but at Harry.  "Harry, you make it sound so simple.  But it can't be that simple.  Something as huge and traumatic as seeing your friend murdered by your girlfriend, just can't be wiped away with a simple explanation."

She stood up and nervously walked around the room, wringing her hands together in a gesture Harry recognised from the past.  She'd always done that - before tests, her OWLs, her NEWTs, breaking Hogwarts rules…

He smiled and watched her pacing, knowing she needed to do it.  "Ginny, it is that simple.  Time, reflection, distance from the situation should have brought you to that conclusion naturally, but you've been running for so long that you've never stopped to think about it clearly."  Harry paused and caught her eyes again, as she came to a halt at his words.  "Have you?"

New comprehension dawned in Ginny's face.  "No, you're right Harry.  I didn't stop.  I was so ashamed of what I'd done.  My instinct was to protect you."  She moved towards him, and knelt down by his side again.

"Protect me?"  Harry looked momentarily confused.

"I figured if I disappeared, then Voldemort couldn't use me to lure you out again, so I ran, and I only really stopped when I got to Melbourne.  For some reason I felt at home here, and I couldn't put my finger on why I felt that way, until last weekend, when I came to visit Emily's mum for the weekend.  And you…, do you know who she is Harry?"

"Yes, she's my godmother.  She's pretty amazing actually."

"Yeah, she's really nice.  And of course I realise now, that's why I felt at home here.  It was my connection with Emily.  I just wasn't really conscious of it at the time.  Anyway, you were right.  I've never stopped to look back.  I couldn't.  I was so ashamed Harry."  Ginny looked up at him again, a tear sliding inexorably down one cheek.

Harry lifted his hand to wipe it away, cupping the side of her face, so thrilled to have her near him again he could hardly stand it.  He wondered if she would stay with him tonight.  He was almost too scared to ask, but at the same time, he didn't think he could bear to be without her another second, let alone the rest of the night, such that it was.

"I love you Ginny," Harry's voice was deep, quiet and washed over her like sunshine clearing the mountains.  "I always have and I always will.  Please don't run again, please don't leave me," Harry begged quietly, holding his breath to see how she would react.

Ginny looked into his piercing green eyes, temporarily lost in them, before she realised what he'd said.  She swallowed, cupped his face with her hands and kissed him ever so gently and took a deep breath.  "Oh Harry, I love you so much.  I almost died tonight when Malfoy put that curse on you.  I thought I'd lost you again."

"You've never lost me.  I've always been yours… always.  Nothing could ever change the way I feel about you," his voice trembling as he gathered up the courage to ask her to stay with him.

Ginny smiled tremulously at his words, her heart practically ready to burst.  "Well, I should probably let you get some sleep, you look exhausted," Ginny began to pull herself up from her kneeling position.

"No!" cried out Harry suddenly, catching her with his hand, not letting her move away.  Ginny froze where she was, hardly daring to hope that he wanted her to stay with him.  She didn't want to leave him, even for a moment.  Suddenly, he looked shy and uncertain, like the Harry she used to know.  He'd always been such a gentlemen, never one to rush her into anything.

"Stay with me."  He caught her eyes, raised his eyebrows a little and quickly added, "I know we haven't…. erm…. you know… gone that far in our relationship, but," he looked at her a little desperately, "please Ginny, I don't think I can bear… even for one night… please stay, don't leave."

Ginny contemplated, for a second, the enormity of what he was asking.  It was true, although they'd slept together before; she hadn't been ready to be intimate with him.  And Harry had been patient and respectful.  But after all this time, he still… felt that way about her.  It gave her a delicious thrill contemplating the meaning behind the words.

She answered him by standing up, taking off her jacket, slipping off her shoes, and slowly unbuttoning the hipsters she was wearing.  She glanced at him shyly through her lashes.  She'd never been this forward with him before, but he'd been more expressive tonight then he'd ever been in the past.

Circumstances had changed them both; in subtle ways maybe, but he'd found her after all these years, and Ginny had almost lost him again tonight, and the time for being that shy with each other had passed.  They were both three years older, and wiser, and this was allowed.

She felt a small twinge of uncomfortableness about being in Anne's house, and Sirius being just up the hall, but the house was quiet.  Everyone else had finally gone to bed.

Ginny slid into bed beside Harry.  He couldn't help himself; he watched every movement she made.  She giggled, and he wondered what he'd done to make her laugh.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said, trying to wipe the grin off her face, as she lay on her side and got comfortable, "it's just going to take some getting used to, you know, not just having you near again, but also watching every move I make."

"Well, if you're going to undress like that every time we're together…" Harry just left the sentence hanging, and then continued more seriously, "I'm just afraid that I'm going to fall asleep and wake up to find that it's all been a dream," Harry replied.  As he was talking his hand was wandering up over her bare thigh, feeling the curve of her hip, the sliver of silky material of her halterneck top that she was still wearing, his fingers fluttering downwards, across her stomach.  He watched as Ginny's eyes fluttered closed, as his fingers wandered over her gently.  He was thrilled that he still had this effect on her.

His touch was driving Ginny wild.  She was trying to restrain herself, because at that very moment, she just felt like she wanted to throw caution to the wind, and at the same time she instinctively knew she wasn't ready.  The circumstances weren't right for that to happen.  But she was responding to Harry as if they'd been lovers for years, and had never parted.

"I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you," Ginny said quietly, leaning in to kiss the tip of his nose.

"Do you want to put another top on?  I wouldn't want you to ruin that one, it's too pretty and delicate," suggested Harry.

"Hmmm, you're right," mused Ginny.  "So, how about you close your eyes, and I'll grab something of Emily's?"

"Okay," agreed Harry, closing his eyes tight immediately.

"No peeking."  

"Don't need to peek, just using my imagination, is that allowed?"

"Sure.  How's that working out for you?"  Ginny crossed to the drawers and pulled out a pyjama top, but didn't bother with the pants.  She still had her underwear on, and she trusted Harry.

"Doesn't compare to the real thing, are you decent yet?"

Ginny crossed the room, quickly putting her arms through the sleeves, buttoning from the bottom to the top as she reached Harry.  "You can look now," she said, and just as she got to the bed, Harry opened his eyes and caught Ginny with a few buttons to go.  She climbed into bed still buttoning herself up, and Harry reached up and started helping to do up the last few.

"Allow me to help you," Harry smiled wickedly, laughter and promise in his eyes.

"Why thank you, kind sir," Ginny quipped, her breath catching in her chest as his fingers brushed the sensitive skin between her breasts, whilst doing up the last button.  The sound of her breath caught his attention, and he glanced up into her eyes, and saw the same level of love, desire and passion as his own, and wondered if they were strong enough to behave.

"Yes, we are."

"Wh…" Harry looked perplexed.  "How did you know what I was thinking?" Harry exclaimed.

"Well, though I've been running away all this time, it doesn't mean I've not had the opportunity to, ummm, observe and interact with men during that time, and I'm sorry darling, but in this respect, all men are easy to read," Ginny pronounced, feeling quite content.

Harry looked horrified.  "Are you serious?  Am I that transparent?"

Ginny laughed at his expression, but quickly answered, "Well, with me you are, yes.  And I love that!  I love that I can read you so well, even after all this time.  But when it comes to ummm, you know, sex, all men are the sa…" Ginny's voice faded away as she caught Harry slowly looking over every inch of her body.

Harry wondered fleetingly if she had become involved with anyone else in the last three years, and then dismissed the thought immediately.  He knew deep in his soul that she hadn't even thought about anyone else, except him.  He trusted her.

"You know I respect you Ginny.  I'll only take things as far as you want me to, you know that, right?"  It seemed important that he explain this.  It had been years since they had been intimate, on any level, with each other and he wanted to make sure she still trusted him.

"I trust you Harry," Ginny said looking at him through her long, curly eyelashes, not realising how seductive she looked at that moment.

"Come here, you vixen," he whispered dangerously.  Harry grabbed a handful of pyjama top and pulled Ginny slowly towards him.  She pushed his glasses back up on his nose, and he looked at her intently, before suddenly wrapping his arms around her and rolling her under him before she could blink.  His lips sought hers, their tongues tangling needfully, dancing once again; her hands roaming over his broad, strong shoulders, his hands gently running from her shoulders, down her back, to her hips, moulding her body to his.

It was as though they'd never been apart.

It was a while before they finished their sensual exploration of each other, both slightly out of breath.  Harry released her from beneath him and settled in to lie beside her.  She rolled over onto her side and he followed, spooning her from behind.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" whispered Harry into her neck, the soft caress of his breath teasing her.

"Of course," replied Ginny softly.

"Do you still have the necklace?"  Harry waited, holding his breath.  Ginny turned over to face him.

"Yes, I do.  I found it tonight.  It was in my Hogwarts trunk and then I put it into the pants I was wearing.  Why?"  asked Ginny, although she knew what the answer would be.

"Can I put it on you again?  You kinda look naked without it," smiled Harry.

"You're not being a little possessive are you Harry?" grinned Ginny teasingly.  Harry answered by summoning the necklace "Accio necklace". 

"I guess that's a yes," laughed Ginny quietly.

Harry caught the necklace, as it zoomed from the black hipsters on the floor to his hands.  They both sat up in bed.  Harry undid the clasp, Ginny ducked her head as he looped it around her neck.  Harry secured the clasp, and pushed her hair back over her shoulders, as she raised her head to look at him.  There was a silence between them.  They looked into each other eyes.  It was like they'd made a commitment to each other - in that very moment.

They both lay down in bed again, arms, legs and fingers entwined.

"G'night Ginny.  I love you," Harry whispered into her ear.

Ginny glanced up at him briefly, over her shoulder.  "I love you so much, and I'm never leaving you ever again, I promise," Ginny declared.

Harry sighed contentedly and settled in to cuddle her from behind.  They lay together, hands entwined until the sun rose that morning.

~*~

It was dark.  Dark, dingy and isolated.  Yes this was what he needed.  Isolation.  From the wizarding world, the muggle world, from life.

He'd made the first move.

Draco smiled to himself.  He had executed his plan perfectly.  The muggles had been a surprise, of course, but then they were easily taken care of.  They were weak, useless.  He hated them.  And the only person he hated more than muggles, was his own father.

After Voldemort had been destroyed by Potter and his little gang of friends, the Auror Division of the Ministry of Magic had hunted down the remaining Death Eaters, and Lucius Malfoy had been killed during an intense duel with an Auror.

In that instant, everything that Draco had known to be true had disintegrated before his very eyes.  He ran the instant the news reached him.  He left his mother behind; his father had taught him to take care of number one first.  And so he had.  He'd learned that lesson very well.  And although he missed his mother, he'd never contacted her.  It wouldn't be safe for her if he did, and she would be better off without him anyway.  The Ministry had seized their manor in search of evidence of dark, magical items; they seized the family's money.  Draco had withdrawn every knut he had, the moment Voldemort had been killed.  Just to be sure.  It had been a wise move, in hindsight.

He turned his thoughts to more important matters.  Like Potter and Weasley.  He'd thought of nothing else but getting revenge on Potter for destroying Voldemort.  It didn't even matter that he'd had help in the end.  He wanted to make Potter pay, and killing the thing most precious to him was the only way to do that.  Killing Ginny Weasley would be his second last act of revenge.  Killing Potter would be his last.  And then he could be free.

Draco had found himself a hideout.  And he knew no one would find him here.  It was about the most disgusting place he could find; but it would suffice for the time being.  It was a squatters house.  There was filth and dirt covering every conceivable surface and he cringed if he dwelled on it too much.

He tried to turn his thoughts away from his immediate surrounds.  He concentrated on his ultimate goal, Potter.  He'd known that they would flee the moment they could.  He'd been back to the pub and had discovered that the band didn't play there again until the following Friday, and that they hadn't been seen since just after the gig, which, according to the people he'd spoken to, was a little unusual.

He hadn't been able to track them at all; but no matter.  He would find them, or there was even the possibility that they would try to find him.  That may even work to his advantage.  It was all irrelevant anyway.  He was prepared for all eventualities.  He would win this fight.

He had to.  If not, then there was only one other option.  One he didn't even want to contemplate.  And wouldn't.  Not yet.


	9. The Trip

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Authors Notes:  **Thanks to everyone who reviewed… Here is the next chapter… We hope you all enjoy it… 

Over the next few days I'll be going back and reloading chapters 1 – 8 both Carolyn and I have done another round of editing, and have found a few mistakes and problems with continuity… 

Don't forget to review… and please go and read my new story, 'Wishes do come true' it is a one chaptered fic'let, that is complete… 

Rhiain

**Chapter 9**

**The Trip**

~*~

He heard a voice calling from the fireplace.  It sounded urgent and fearful.

Draco raced into the front room of the mansion, to see Macnair's head in the fire calling for him.

"Hey, quit the shouting Macnair, what do you want?" snapped Draco.

"Draco, I've only got a minute.  We are under attack and I don't have much time before they find me.  I wanted to let you know that your father's unit was attacked about an hour ago, and…" Macnair faltered.  Being intimidated by Lucius was one thing, but breaking this news to the son, was just as intimidating.

"And what?" cried Draco.  "Spit it for god's sake!"

"It's your father.  I'm sorry Draco.  He's dead."

There was total silence as Draco stared at Macnair uncomprehendingly.  "No, don't be stupid.  He can't be dead, I just spoke to him this morning…"

"I'm sorry Draco.  It's true; but I can't stay here.  I've got to get away from here before they…"

Draco watched as Macnair's head turned away from him in the fire and then he was gone.

Draco crumbled to the floor in disbelief.  His father was dead.  He was still trying to comprehend what Macnair had said when he heard voices in the far hallway.  He disapparated to his room, wanting time alone to think.  And think fast.

He grabbed his Hogwarts trunk and started packing.  In a few minutes he was done.  Clothes, the money he'd taken out of his vault at Gringotts, just a few days before ironically, his Nimbus 2001 broomstick, a few of his most treasured possessions and he was ready.  He shrunk his trunk and disapparated to Knockturn Alley.

He went and stayed with a friend, who he knew would give him shelter and protection for as long as he needed it.  But he wouldn't need it for long.  He couldn't stay this close to Diagon Alley.  The wizarding world was in an uproar and they wouldn't hesitate to arrest him on the spot if anyone from the MLES happened to see him.  They might not have any solid evidence on him, but they knew that knew a lot; if not everything.

He lay in bed and thought of his father.  He fell in a restless sleep; one littered with moments; moments of despair, desperateness, fear, love and loathing.  All connected to his father.  People would be surprised if they knew how Draco really felt about his father.  In the meantime, his world had fallen apart and he was desperately trying to stop himself from falling into the dark well of despair that seemed to want him.  His thoughts threatened to suffocate him; his feelings of love and hate for his father warring constantly within him.  He was dreaming of how his father had died, imagining the duel and his final moment; it was like he was watching from far away – totally unable to stop what was happening.  In this dream he was shouting at his father, yelling at him to duck and then witnessing the final blow that killed him.

Draco screamed and sat up in bed, sweating and shaking.  Although it was years later, he was still having that nightmare.  It was so strange; it was like he was watching a movie and he was an observer.  He watched himself have a nightmare, and then in that nightmare was when he usually woke up suddenly.  Always at that point.  He never seemed to dream anything after that.

Draco lay back down on his makeshift bed and slid back into oblivion until the morning.

~*~

"Ron?  Are you there?" called Hermione through the fire.  After leaving Remus's, she'd spent the rest of the day with Mrs Weasley.

"Hello gorgeous!" replied Ron happily.

"Your mum asked if we would stay for dinner, I thought it would be a good time to explain what's going on, at least one version of it anyway," said Hermione.

"I've just got a little bit more packing to do, I'll be there later.  Okay?" he replied.

"Okay, see you soon" she replied and her head disappeared from the fireplace.

Ron raced through the house trying to find where he had left the Portkey tickets.  Hermione would kill him if he had lost them.  He pulled the cushions off the couch and looked behind them, he then walked over and looked on the mantelpiece.

"Bugger, bugger, bollocks," he mumbled to himself.

"What's the matter Ron?" asked Remus, he had just apparated into the lounge room in time to hear Ron mumbling.

Ron whipped round, startled.  "Oh geez Remus, you scared me!" Ron said, relieved, before lowering his wand.

"Sorry, I didn't know what room you would be in, and I wanted to talk to you before you go.  Is Hermione here?" replied Remus.

"No she's at The Burrow.  I'm heading there as soon as I find our portkey tickets" said Ron, continuing to search frantically, making a mess in the process.

"Can I help?" asked Remus.

"Actually, yeah.  Are you good summoning spells?  Harry and Hermione mastered them in fourth year for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but I wasn't talking to them at the time and have never been any good at them" said Ron looking sheepish.

"Accio Tickets" said Remus holding out his hand to catch the tickets mid-air as they flew to him from under the couch.

"Thanks.  What did you want to talk to us about?" asked Ron.

"I… I just want you to be careful; and please don't take this the wrong way.  If Harry has found her but hasn't spoken to her, I don't want you to go charging off to get her.  He's spent a lot of time looking for her, and you can be sure that he hasn't told you everything over the last couple of years.  It's going to be hard enough for her to deal with Harry, let alone you and Hermione too," said Remus.

"Yeah I know Remus, I've been thinking about it all day.  I just want to go over there to support him, hell just to see him again would be great.  Hermione and I have always felt that we should be out there helping him.  We're not going to do anything stupid.  Trust me," replied Ron.

"I do trust you Ron, I guess I'm just looking at it from Ginny's perspective," Remus paused looking a little sad.  "You know Harry is almost as much a son to me, as he is to Sirius.  I just want things to work out for him," he said.

"I know, so do we…" said Ron trailing off, thinking about the few happy times before Ginny disappeared.

Ron looked over to Harry and Ginny from where he was sitting.  He was on the couch in front of the fire in the common room, Hermione was lying on the couch with her head resting in his lap.  He looked across to the oversized chair that Harry was sitting on, Ginny was asleep, curled up on his lap with her head nestled under his chin.

They had been sitting there for hours.  Earlier that morning Sirius had gone with Dumbledore to the Ministry of Magic with Wormtail in hand.  It had been an agonising wait; they had played chess, done homework, and even went to visit Hagrid, but nothing could keep their minds off Sirius. 

The clock above the fireplace chimed once, Ron looked up and saw that it was a quarter to midnight.  They were alone in the common room, all the other occupants having retired a few hours before.  It had been over twelve hours since they had left for the Ministry.  Where the hell were they?  Had Sirius been sent back to Azkaban?

He was still asking himself questions when the portrait door opened and a black dog came flying into the room followed by Professor Dumbledore and Remus Lupin.

The dog ran straight at Harry, who stood up quickly - unceremoniously dumping Ginny on the ground with a thud.  Just as the dog reached Harry it transformed into Sirius, who pulled Harry into a bone crushing hug whist trying to dance around the room.

"I'm free, I'm free" he repeated over and over again.

Hermione stirred in his lap and opened her eyes, then closed them, shook her head and opened them again, a wide grin spreading quickly across her face, before she started laughing.  It didn't take long before Ron was laughing as well; he couldn't imagine what anyone would think looking at them.  He just hoped that they didn't wake anyone up.  There would enough time for explanations tomorrow, if necessary.

Ginny was sitting on the floor her hair going in every direction, rubbing her backside whilst looking at Harry and Sirius with a big smile on her face; Remus and Dumbledore were standing next to the fire, amusement alight in their faces; Harry and Sirius were still locked in a hug and dancing around the room, and now Ron and Hermione were laughing.

'Yes' he thought to himself, 'anyone would think we were mad!!'

Ron shook his head trying to clear his thoughts, Remus was saying something to him, but he hadn't heard a word of it.

"Sorry Remus, can you say that again…?  I didn't catch it," he asked.

"I was just asking if you would give this to Anne for me" said Remus handing Ron a sealed letter addressed to Anne Fletcher.

"No problem Remus," he said taking the letter and putting it with the tickets which were still in his hand.  "I think I'll go and put these in Hermione's bag, before I lose them again."

"Well I'd better go, say hello to Molly and Arthur for me," said Remus.

"Okay, I will," said Ron.  "Do you want me to owl you when we get there?"

"If you don't mind, just to let me know you got there safely," said Remus.

"Okay, I'll send Hedwig after we arrive," he replied.

"Bye, have a good time," said Remus as he disapparated.

Ron looked at the clock on the bedside table as he walked to the stairs to put the tickets in Hermione's bag.  It read "You're Late".

'Shit, I'm late' he thought as he pulled out his wand and apparated to The Burrow.

~*~

"Do you need any help Mrs Weasley?" called Hermione from the lounge room where she was discussing what was happening at Hogwarts with Mr Weasley.

"That would be great dear" she called back.

"What would you like me to do?" asked Hermione as she came in to the kitchen.

"Could you just set the table please?" said Mrs Weasley.

"How many settings?" asked Hermione.

"Only four, Percy and Penelope have gone away for the weekend for their fifth wedding anniversary, so Arthur and I are looking after little Leo" said Mrs Weasley.

"You really enjoy having children in the house don't you Mrs Weasley?" said Hermione.

"I do, they keep you young.  By the way dear, please call us Molly and Arthur, you've been a part of the family long enough.  I'll be telling Harry the same thing when he gets back…" Molly trailed off when she saw a hint of something flash across Hermione's face.

Hermione turned away quickly and busied herself with setting the table, silently cursing herself and hoping Molly didn't notice the flash of excitement that she suddenly felt.

"Is anything the matter dear?" asked Molly in a motherly fashion.

"No… no everything is fine.  I'm just wondering where Ron is, he said he would be here by now," said Hermione trying to change the subject.

~*~

Ron apparated into his old bedroom.  He had decided that it was the best place to apparate to since the pile up at The Burrow the previous week.  He looked around the room; it was exactly as he'd left it when he, Harry and Hermione had moved into The Notch a month after they'd finished school.

He had many fond memories of this room, but it also bought back memories of Ginny.  Before he'd gone to Hogwarts, they'd been best friends, but when he'd returned after his first year, all he could talk about was Harry and Hermione; he seemed to forget about little Ginny.

All that changed in their fifth year when Hermione had included Ginny in their group.  Ron was glad that she'd done that.  He'd noticed that Ginny hadn't had many friends after what had happened in her first year.  He was doubly glad that she was around when he and Hermione had started dating; it had given Harry some company.  

Most people expected him to react badly when he was informed that Harry and Ginny were dating, however he had been really pleased for them.  As much as he liked playing the non-trusting big brother, he was glad they were together.  They made a good pair.  Percy had made a bit of a fuss initially, however after Ron had pointed out that Harry was treating her very respectfully, he had come around.

Ron walked over and sat down on his old bed, looking at the space on the floor that was reserved for Harry's mattress.  It had been hard for Ron to let Harry go off alone to find Ginny.  The three of them had done everything together since defeating the troll in their first year at Hogwarts, and it had been hard to accept that Harry had wanted to do this alone.

He was sitting on his bed, with his head in his hands, when he heard the bedroom door open.

"I thought I heard someone up here," Hermione said crossing the room and sitting next to Ron, and putting her arm around his waist.

"Sorry I'm late" he replied simply.

"That's okay" she said, thinking back to ten minutes ago when she had been complaining to Mrs Wea… Molly, about how he was always late.  But his posture spoke volumes to her.  She could read this body language so well, better than words could describe.

She knew how he was feeling about this trip, because she was feeling the same way; happy and excited that they would be seeing Harry again; nervously expectant as to what he had discovered, if anything, about Ginny.  The thought that Harry might not have found her was a little depressing, but whatever happened, she and Ron were committed to going now, no matter what.

"What are you thinking about" she asked quietly.

"Nothing…" he said putting his arm around her waist and leaning in, kissing her lightly on her forehead.

"You're fibbing, but I'll let you off the hook, because you're late.  Your mum is waiting to serve dinner," she said standing up.  But before she had straightened up, Ron caught her arm and pulled her back down.

"Are we doing the right thing?  Going over there I mean?  What if he hasn't found her and we've got our hopes up for no reason?  What if he's found, but she won't see us.  What if…?"  He didn't get to finish what he was saying because Hermione cut him off with a soft kiss.

"We are doing the right thing Ron.  We haven't seen him in almost three years.  I miss him, and I know you miss him too, and Ginny.  We're his best friends, and if nothing else, we are just going for a visit.  Nothing more, nothing less.  You know he'd do the same for either of us," replied Hermione standing up once again, holding her hand out to him.  "Come on, dinner's waiting."

As they were walking down the stairs, Ron was dreading the forthcoming conversation.  His mum wasn't going to accept their story easily.

~*~

"Ron dear, glad you could make it," exclaimed Molly, as Ron came in to the kitchen.

"You only saw me this morning mum," replied Ron groaning.

"Well, you know how much I miss you all," retorted Molly, before being dutifully hugged by Ron.

"What's for dinner?" asked Arthur breaking up the playful banter going on between mother and son.

"Roast beef.  Now come and sit down, its getting cold," said Molly, bustling around the three of them.

"Yes Molly," smiled Arthur.

"Thanks, this looks great," Hermione said.

"Yum!" said Ron.

"This is delicious Molly dear," commented Arthur.

"Wow, this is the best Mum.  I'm coming home for dinner more often," said Ron.  Hermione raised her eyebrows and nudged him in the ribs.  "Sorry Hermione, you do a wonderful job too!"  Ron kissed her lightly on the nose and then everyone tucked in with relish.

No one spoke again whilst they were all enjoying Molly's delicious meal, until Mrs Weasley bought up the reason for the get together.

"Now, Hermione was telling me that you both wanted to talk to us about something?" said Mrs Weasley, looking at Ron expectantly.

"Ummm… we… well… Hermione?" said Ron.

"We were just wanting to ask if you could look after Pig and Crookshanks for a few days?" asked Hermione, who was great at keeping a straight face, while lying through her teeth at the same time.  She'd had enough experience throughout their years at Hogwarts.

"Well, of course dears, that's no problem at all.  Where are you going?" Molly queried, looking typically curious.

"Well, we've been so busy lately," started Hermione, "that we just wanted to take a break and spend some time together alone."

Ron looked her admiringly.  She was just the most amazing woman he'd ever known.  If he wasn't so nervous of his mum, he'd laugh at the amazingly straight face she was keeping, whilst continuing her story.

"That's sounds like a good idea," said Arthur, looking at Ron and Hermione fondly.  "You both have been very busy, and what with the wedding preparations, you could use a few days off before the big day."

"That's what we were thinking," replied Hermione easily.

"So where do you think you'll go?  And for how long?" asked Molly, noticing that Ron hadn't said a word so far - this was usually a sign that something was up.

"Well, we thought we might go to Egypt for a week," continued Hermione.  "I mean, I know that Bill's coming back home for the wedding and a holiday, but I haven't been before and so I convinced Ron that he needed to show me around the Pyramids personally.

"With a little help from Bill," added Ron quickly, who was trying to avoid looking at his mother for too long, in case he gave anything away.

"Splendid, splendid," said Arthur smiling broadly.  "A week of sun, rest and play for you two will probably do wonders."

"And so when are you leaving Ron?" asked Molly directly.

Hermione was about to answer, when she got nudged under the table by, surprisingly of all people, Arthur, who gave her a mysterious glance and continued to act as if he'd done nothing.  Hermione closed her mouth and let Ron answer.

Ron was nervous.  He hated lying to his parents.  They certainly didn't deserve it, but he and Hermione hadn't come up with any other solutions that would keep his parents at home in England and stop them from following Ron and Hermione to Australia.  He was feeling distinctly uncomfortable, and could feel his face growing warmer and warmer - not a good sign, according to Hermione.

"Ron?" Molly asked again, a little more sternly this time.

"Hmmm, yeah Mum?"

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning actually," he responded as casually as he could.  "I know it's short notice, but we're both feeling really tired, and a little cranky, so we made some enquiries and there was a Portkey available tomorrow morning, so off we go!"  He looked at his mum as matter-of-factly as he could muster, looking to his dad for support.  Arthur just raised his eyebrows, without Molly seeing, and imperceptibly nodded his head in support.

As usual, Ron thought to himself with a silent sigh of relief, his dad had figured out what was really going on, and just wasn't saying anything.  How did he do that?  His dad was much smarter than anyone in the Ministry of Magic gave him credit for.

"Well, of course dears, I think that's a wonderful idea," Molly got up to clear away the dishes and organise dessert.

"Sit down mum, I'll clear this up" said Ron trying not to look his mum in the eyes

"Here I'll help you," said Arthur getting up and collecting the left over dishes

"That's okay dad, I've got them," said Ron walking into the kitchen.

~*~

Ron and Arthur stood in the kitchen doing the dishes.  Ron was doing it the muggle way, and before he could stop himself, Arthur asked, "Ron, why aren't you using magic to do this?

"Err, I just felt like it," stammered Ron.  Actually, what he wanted was to take as long as possible so that he didn't have to face his mother again.

"Ron, I know you too well, and you never do stuff like this if it can by done by magic.  You hate doing it with magic as it is."  Arthur looked at him, eyebrows raised in question.

Ron was starting to feel uncomfortable.  He didn't like lying to his dad, and although he was pretty sure Arthur knew what was going on, he didn't want to betray what their real travel plans were unless he had to.

Arthur was watching Ron carefully.  He had grown from a gangly teenager into a mature young man.  He thought of Harry and how Ron and he had become best friends in their first year at Hogwarts, along with Hermione.  With all that had happened to them during their school years, Arthur had been worried for Ron, and for Ginny.  Not that he thought badly of Harry.  Harry had had to shoulder more responsibility as a child, then most people have to worry about in a lifetime, and the whole way through, he'd always tried to protect his friends – first and foremost.  And although it hadn't come to that, Arthur knew that these brave kids would have died for each other.  And as a parent, you couldn't ask for more from your child, than strength of character, bravery and respect for your friends and family.  He was very proud of Ron; all of his children in fact, and that included Hermione and Harry.  They'd been good for each other, and had brought out the best in each other throughout the years.  And Arthur was immensely glad for that.

Arthur dried the dishes [with magic] and magicked them into their appropriate places in the kitchen cupboards.  He knew that Ron and Hermione were lying about where they were going, but he didn't mind.  Molly could get a little overbearing, especially when it came to Harry, or Harry finding Ginny; he just hoped that Ron wasn't getting his hopes up too high with this trip.

"Would you say hello to Harry and Sirius for me," asked Arthur casually.

"Wh... what do you mean?  We're... we're going to visit Bill.  In Egypt," replied Ron stuttering slightly at his father's accurate assessment of their situation.

"Don't worry, I won't tell your mother.  I know how she can be.  And I agree.  It wouldn't do Molly any good to go haring off to Australia.  It would be too much for her," said Arthur.

"Thanks dad" said Ron looking around for another dish to wash, "again.  I just don't want to get my hopes up too much.  We think he's found her, but what if he hasn't?  What if she doesn't want to come home?  There are just too many variables to this that I'm not sure I want to think about them in any great detail," said Ron as he removed the apple pie from the oven.

Arthur picked up the cream, walked over to Ron and said "I may not know the exact details of what happened that day, but I do have an educated guess, and I'm sure when Harry finds her – she'll listen, and come home."

"I hope so," said Ron smiling.  "We'd better get this into the girls or they'll come looking for us." 

~*~

Hermione and Molly watched the men leave the room with the dishes.  Molly wondered what brought on this sudden trip, but couldn't decide on the best way to approach the subject with Hermione. 

"What time does your Portkey leave?" asked Molly.

"Ten o'clock I think.  Is it okay if we drop Pig and Crookshanks off at around nine?" asked Hermione.

"That's fine, do you mind if I come and see you off?" asked Molly.

"Umm… yeah, that should be okay, only how are you going to get little Leo there?" said Hermione, silently praying that Molly couldn't think of a solution.

"I'll ask Arthur if he can take Leo into work tomorrow," said Molly.  "Oh I just have to get you some books on Egypt…"

"That's okay, I'm sure Bill will have some we can look at," said Hermione, trying to stop Molly but she was already walking up the stairs 

"Where'd mum go?" asked Ron walking into the room.

"To get us some books on Egypt," she stated blandly, and Ron and Arthur laughed.

"That's my girl," grinned Arthur.  "I won't tell her what's going on Ron, but is there anything I can do to help?"

Hermione looked mortified that they'd been caught lying.  When Arthur saw the look on her face, he immediately reassured her.

"I guessed Hermione, Ron didn't give anything away, I promise.  Now what can I do to help?"

Hermione plunged right in, knowing they only had moments before Molly came back downstairs.  "Well, Molly's going to ask you if you can take Leo in to work tomorrow, so that she can come and see us off," replied Hermione urgently.

"Oh no, no way, she can't Hermione, how are we going to explain anything if she's right there?" Ron looked from Hermione to his dad desperately.

"It's okay, I'll tell her that I'm out in the field all day tomorrow," replied Arthur quickly, "that way she won't have any choice but to stay behind.  What time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Ten o'clock, but I said we'd drop off Pig and Crookshanks at nine," Hermione added rather panicked at the thought of dealing with Molly again.

"No problem.  I'll make up something so that I'll be home when you arrive and that way, I'll be around to sort her out after you leave, if anything happens," Arthur said firmly, as they heard Molly coming down the stairs.

"Here they are, right up the back of the attic.  Sorry it took me a while, but that ghoul is getting cheekier every day," said Molly grimacing as they heard a crash from upstairs.  "It's okay, I had to move everything to find the books we had on Egypt, and the ghoul's upset that I haven't tidied up… he's got real attitude for a ghoul."  Molly sighed and then put the books on the kitchen table.

Hermione got up to dish out the apple pie, and then the four of them settled down to dessert and Ron and Hermione did their best to be really interested in everything Molly was telling them about Egypt…


	10. The Morning After

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Authors Notes:  **Thanks to everyone who reviewed… Here is the next chapter… We hope you all enjoy it… 

Over the next few days I'll be going back and reloading chapters 1 – 8 both Carolyn and I have done another round of editing, and have found a few mistakes and problems with continuity… 

Don't forget to review… and please go and read my new story, 'Wishes do come true' it is a one chaptered fic'let, that is complete… 

Rhiain

**Chapter 10**

**The Morning After**

~*~

Ginny stirred slightly, obviously not wanting to wake up.  Harry watched her quietly.  He had been awake for half an hour and was just indulging in being able to watch her unabashedly.

Her eyes flickered open slowly.  She was so gorgeous, Harry just wanted to watch her sleep for hours and hours.  So long as could protect her and cherish her, he would be happy.

"Afternoon, sleepy head," Harry whispered in her ear.  She turned towards him in bed, smiling, moving her body so she could wrap herself around him and draw him closer, if that were possible.

"What time is it?" asked Ginny sleepily, not really caring about an answer.

"Just after twelve actually.  Are you ready to get up yet?" Harry wrapped his arms around her tightly, taking the opportunity to nuzzle the bare flesh on her neck that was beckoning.  Her leg was draped over his hip, making him all the more aware of her.

"Not really, but I guess we should.  The band are going to be wanting explanations today, if nothing else."

"Why don't you have a shower first and then while you're getting dressed I'll have mine," Harry said.

"Mmmmm, okay," Ginny replied sleepily, rolling away from Harry and sliding out of bed.  She crossed to the door, listening for anyone in the hallway.  She quietly opened the door and peeked out, but it seemed as though everyone else was downstairs having breakfast - or lunch.

Harry watched every movement she made, looking at her from head to toe, watching the way her hair fell all around her shoulders, the new colours that were peeking through in places, how slim and graceful her legs were.  He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming - he wasn't.

"Harry?" Ginny caught him gazing at her, she blushed.

"You're cute when you blush, you know," teased Harry gently, getting out of bed, advancing towards her, still wearing his jeans from the night before.

"Not fair!  How come you're not blushing?  You usually do at the slightest hint of teasing," she eyed him a little reproachfully.

"Well, Sirius gave me some advice yesterday; I'm not wasting a single moment of time with you.  I respect you, I love you, and I want you, in every sense of the word and I'm not going to be shy with you anymore.  Is that okay?" Harry wondered briefly whether she would appreciate this new, bold Harry Potter.

Ginny was a little flabbergasted, but hid her thoughts behind a shy smile, secretly loving the new Harry in front of her.  She'd been rather daring last night, taking most of her clothes off, but she'd thrown a little caution to the wind and was happy to just see where this would take them.  "Would you like to join me then?"

"Join you?" Harry looked a little confused, looking at Ginny for a moment, until comprehension dawned on his face, at which point his brain froze and he temporarily lost the ability to communicate anything, let alone an intelligent response, trying to stop the visuals that instantly appeared in his mind's eye.

Ginny looked at him, giggling.  She couldn't help it.  She'd just thrown him the ultimate invitation and he looked like he was having a struggle with his conscience.

"You mean…?" he queried, making sure he understood her.

"Yeah."  Ginny spoke on a sigh that escaped her.

"Ginny," Harry paused, thinking quickly of how to react to her invitation.  It wasn't like he didn't want to, he did.  But in a house full of his godparents and strangers?  "There's nothing I want more then to be with you," he paused hoping she would understand, "but I had in mind, something more private than a house full of godparents and strangers with millions of questions, for our first time."  He paused a moment.  "Do you mind?"

"No.  You're such a gentleman, and you're right.  This isn't the time or place for that.  We need some space of our own," Ginny agreed, looking wistfully at Harry, her eyes lingering on every part of him, his broad, naked shoulders and chest, stomach, her eyes resting for a mere second on the way his jeans sat on his hips.  Her eyes flittered quickly up to his, their breathing a little ragged and suddenly unsteady.

He held her gaze without blinking.  He leaned in closer, until their bodies were just about touching, then kissed her so tenderly, it was almost heartbreaking.

Ginny tried to hold on to some semblance of sanity, but her brain was spiralling out of control.  All she could think about was kissing Harry, touching him, pulling him closer.  She couldn't get enough of him.

It seemed like an age later when they finally pulled apart, grinning at each other.  They dissolved into laughter.  "You should probably go have a shower before you lose control and seduce me again," said Harry, looking wide eyed and innocent.

"Me?  Lose control?  I don't think so, who was the one who left the bed and moved closer to me?  Who mmmm….." Harry silenced her again with another brain draining kiss.

"Not fair." Ginny sighed a little breathlessly after a moment, before quickly exiting the bedroom and dashing into the bathroom before Harry could say another word.

~*~

Ginny and Harry came down to the kitchen about twenty minutes later, and the scene that greeted them as the kitchen came into view was… well, incredible.

Sirius was by the stove cooking what looked like breakfast and lunch rolled into one, using magic; Anne was summoning plates, cutlery and drinks for everyone; the band were at the table with Emily, who was looking almost 100% again; Hedwig and Ruby were up high where their food, and Ruby's cage, was.  If one didn't know any better, you wouldn't suspect that the young men seated at the table were muggles.  It didn't look like they were at all uneasy with the amount of magic that was performed all around them.  In fact they looked like they were having a ball.

"Okay," said Fred enthusiastically, "change this cup into something else Emily.

Emily rolled her eyes, it seemed as though she'd been doing magic for them since they'd woken up, but she transfigured it into a sparrow, which promptly flew right out the open kitchen window.

"Excellent!  That is so cool!" exclaimed Phil.

At that point Sirius turned a little, saw Harry and Ginny on the bottom step of the stairs, transformed into Padfoot and bounded over and leapt at both of them, putting a paw on each of their shoulders.  The trio just stopped talking and watched in amazement.

"Morning Padfoot," said Harry giving the big black dog a tickle behind his right ear.  "I see you're feeling energetic this morning."  Padfoot responded by giving both Harry and Ginny a big lick each, before jumping down and chasing his tail, just for show, before transforming back into Sirius.

"Errrggh, Sirius, that was gross," exclaimed Ginny, moping her face dry.

"Well, I meant it as a sign of affection," Sirius pouted, before laughing out loud.  "How are you Harry?  You look, ummm, rested," the meaning behind his words unmistakeable.

"Yes, I did sleep well, thank you for noticing," Harry replied dryly, before adding quietly, "you'll pay for that one day," he warned Sirius.

"Ahh, I can hardly wait.  Black and Potter at it again!"

"And how are you Ginny?" Anne intervened before happy jinxing broke out.

"Great thanks Anne, although I'm starving.  It feels as though I haven't eaten for days."

"Well, take a seat, it's almost ready," smiled Anne, moving towards Sirius to help ladle everything onto dishes and then levitate them onto the table.

Everyone dug in quickly, without ceremony.  It seemed as though Ginny wasn't the only who was hungry.

After every piece of food had disappeared from the table, Ginny and Harry shoo'd everyone out of the kitchen so they could clean up.

"Sure… clean up.  Is that what they call it nowadays?" said Sirius quietly as he passed Harry, grinning.

"Oh shut up Sirius," quipped Harry trying not to smile.  "You know, you can't just have one heart to heart with me and expect to be able to get away with teasing me about this sort of stuff."

Sirius stopped immediately, but was obviously still struggling to wipe the grin off his face.

Harry watched him carefully, but in the end it was Ginny who intervened, stepping in between them both.

"Sirius, you really don't want to get on my bad side by teasing Harry too much," she threatened quietly, amusement alight in her eyes.

"Miss Weasley, do you really think you could out-duel me?" Sirius smiled, looking happy at the thought of a playful duel.  He felt as though his life had started again, when he'd come here.  He felt younger than he had in ages.  He couldn't put his finger on it, and wasn't particularly comfortable examining that set of emotions just yet, either, but it felt… good.

"Mr Black, I'll have you know I got an 'EE' for my NEWTs in my Defence Against the Dark Arts class," she smiled sweetly in return.  "That's Exceptionally Excellent, in case you've forgotten," she added mischievously.

However, Sirius wasn't surprised.  He knew how good Ginny was, but thought a bit of old fashioned duelling would be fun.

"Well, why don't we duel and see, hmmm?"

"No problem, just say when and where," said Ginny confident that she could hold her ground, even against an experienced wizard such as Sirius.

"Alright you two, that's enough."  Anne had returned from the lounge room to find that they hadn't even started on the kitchen yet.  She had been standing quietly in the doorway watching Sirius, unobserved by anyone.

"Oops!  Sorry Anne, we'll clean the kitchen right now," exclaimed Ginny seeing Anne and instantly feeling guilty.  "It will only take a minute, come on Harry."

Ginny and Harry set to work summoning all the cutlery to the sink, magicking the table clean and setting the pots and pans to be washed in the sink, before following Sirius and Anne into the lounge room.

The boys were seated all on one couch, looking expectantly at their new friends.

'So," said Sirius seriously, "I expect you'd like an explanation for everything's that happened so far."

"Well, we think we've figured some of it out," said Shane quietly, "but it would be better to hear it first hand, so we don't assume too much."

Sirius was standing near the window, looking outside.  He didn't want to alarm anyone, but he was keeping an eye on their surrounds.  He knew Harry would probably figure out what he was doing, being an Auror himself, but he was keeping it low key, regardless.

Harry and Ginny came in and sat on the sofa opposite the boys.  Ginny looked a little nervous, but Harry caught her hand in his, gave her a reassuring smile and looked at the boys.

"So, what would like to ask first?" said Harry, not wasting any time.  He'd noticed Sirius by the window as he entered the lounge room and was well aware of what Sirius was doing, but also realised that they needed to deal with this now and get it out of the way, before dealing with the Malfoy problem.

"This might seem a rude, even silly, question, but what are you, exactly?" Fred asked.  He, Phil and Shane had had fun that morning in the kitchen, but their brains were still buzzing with unanswered questions.

"We're wizards and witches," explained Harry, simply, before giving them a more thorough explanation.  "Some people are born into wizarding families, like Ginny and Sirius, and their families go back many generations, and then there are wizards like me who come from parents who were wizards, but my mum's family were muggles - or non magic folk, as Hagrid would say."

The boys were listening intently, quietly soaking it all up.  "So some people, like your mum, are just ordinary people who discover they have magical powers?" Shane said.

"That's right," answered Ginny, "but just as muggle's can develop their magical powers, even some wizards born into pure blood wizarding families can end up with very little magical powers.  It's just one of those things."

"Okay," replied Fred, nodding his head.  He understood, and knew that it explained practically everything that had happened since the pub, but he looked steadily at Ginny, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out "why did you lie to us?"

Ginny's breath caught.  She hadn't been expecting this question at all.  It never occurred to her that they would be angry at her.  "I'm sorry.  I… just…" she faltered, not knowing how on earth to explain the reasoning behind her actions.  There was three years of running away involved, plus the reason behind the running away…

"Hey Fred, she didn't just lie to you, she lied to me too, but you know what?  Get over it."  Emily interjected sharply before anymore questions were fired at Ginny.  "There's more to this story than you could possibly comprehend, and you're not automatically entitled to know every little detail."

"I'm not asking for every little detail, I just thought we were closer than the fans at the pub," replied Fred sarcastically.

There was silence.  Tears welled up in Ginny's eyes, she squeezed Harry's hand for support, not knowing how to tell them everything that had happened.  She looked lost and Harry stepped in before anyone else said anything.

"There's no point in explaining anything until you've got some of the back story.  The thing is, it's not my story to tell, and I'm not sure Ginny's up to it at the moment," started Harry.  Fred looked like he was about to interrupt again, when Emily moved into his line of sight and glared at him; he stopped himself.

"Ginny," said Sirius softly from his position by the window, "I know this isn't easy for you, but the more you verbalise it, the less power it has over you.  Just tell the people that need to know… it will get easier.  You know that, right?"

Ginny nodded her head, tears silently tracking down her cheeks, looking towards Sirius.  She felt the guilt rise up in her again, as fresh as ever, threatening to overwhelm her.

"It's okay, you're not in this alone.  We'll help, if you want," he finished.  She nodded, wondering where on earth to start.

"It would help for you to know how all this started," began Harry, not knowing quite how to begin the story, which, he realised that instant, began the night his parents were murdered.  "I guess the important thing to remember is, not all wizards are good.  Some are bad, and when I was a baby, there was a wizard that had gone as bad as you could go.  Lord Voldemort," Harry began, getting straight to the point.

"But to cut a long story short; his reign of terror has lasted a long time.  He murdered my parents when I was just a year old, and then tried to kill me, but the spell backfired and he disappeared.  He turned up again, ten years later, during my first year at Hogwarts."

The trio looked at Harry blankly; he quickly explained. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  We go to school just like you do.  Magical prowess doesn't just happen automatically, you must learn to harness that power, just like you have to learn how to read and write."  Fred, Phil and Shane nodded their understanding, and Harry continued.

"Basically, we've been fighting him every since.  At least up until three years ago anyway."

"What happened three years ago?" asked Shane.

"Well, um… Ginny?" Harry looked at her, smiled encouragingly and squeezed her hand.

Ginny took a deep breath and began speaking quietly.

"It was Harry's birthday, and I was on way my over to his place to surprise him when I was kidnapped by Death Eaters."

The boys looked blank again, so Ginny explained further.  "That's what they called themselves, Voldemort's supporters," explained Ginny.  "Anyway, he held me captive, and to cut another long story short, he used me as bait to lure Harry to him.  When Harry arrived, he saw…" Ginny faltered for a moment, took a deep breath… "he saw me killing a friend of his.  Neville Longbottom.  The thing is, Voldemort was one of the most powerful wizards at the time, and he was controlling me with an Unforgivable Curse - the Imperius Curse.  Unless you are incredibly strong and powerful, like Harry, very few people can throw off the Imperius Curse.  When you're under its control, you have no idea what's going on.  You do what you are told."

The boys looked horrified.  Fred especially, was feeling like he'd spoken out of turn now, but he still wanted to hear the rest of the story.

"So what happened next?" asked Phil.

"Well, the moment Harry apparated to where we were, I was torturing Neville; and then Voldemort ordered me to kill him.  The moment I'd killed him, Voldemort took the curse off me.  I looked around, saw Harry, realised what I'd done and then disapparated," Ginny was talking quickly, like the quicker she spoke the less painful it would be.

"As soon as Ginny left," said Harry, continuing the story, "I was left alone with Voldemort, which was exactly what he wanted.  He'd anticipated every move, every reaction.  However he didn't count on my friends and family following me and helping to destroy him - once and for all," explained Harry.

"But by the time I tried to follow Ginny, she'd already run away, and I've been following her ever since."  He put his arm around her, drawing her closer to him, whispering softly into her hair, comforting her once more.

The silence was almost deafening.  You could've heard a pin drop.

Harry was comforting Ginny.  Sirius was watching them from his vantage point near the window.  Emily was still glaring at Fred, angry at him because he'd upset Ginny, and she was feeling very protective of her these days.  Anne, as usual, was watching them all carefully, curious as to what the next question would be.

Fred, looking a little contrite, spoke up quietly, "I'm sorry Grace, I, I mean Ginny.  I didn't mean to upset you.  I just… I don't know.  You know me, I'm a straight shooter.  I don't bullshit people, it's not my style, and I just could never possibly imagine that, after all the time we've spent together as friends, that you could lie to us.

"I mean, I understand now what was behind it.  We were discussing it last night, and we came to the conclusion that you were running away from something, but we had no idea it was something this… huge."

"I'm so sorry," began Ginny, wiping her eyes.  "You guys have been so wonderful and understanding, but I guess a part of me didn't ever really think that anyone would find me.  I didn't even entertain the idea that anyone would be looking for me.  Although I should've known Harry wouldn't sit around without an explanation for long.  Not after what had happened anyway."  She paused and looked at him lovingly, not leaving his embrace.  "He's not one for waiting and looking at options," she finished, smiling a little.

"No he's definitely not," interjected Sirius.  "He's very like his father in that respect.  James always made decisive plans and implemented them immediately; he never wanted to wait either.  But I guess in a way Harry, Hermione is like Lily in that respect.  Hermione always stops you and Ron from getting into too much trouble."

"Yes she certainly does," agreed Harry.  He looked from Sirius to the three boys sitting on the couch.  "I know this has been a lot to swallow, but is this making any sense at all?"

"In a very weird, Star Wars type fantasy way, yeah, it is making some sense," said Shane.  "But you lost me a few times.  What is apperr…. whatever you said before."

"Apparating," said Emily, "it's one way that we can travel.  We can apparate from place to place, provided we know the exact location of where we are going.  We also can travel by floo powder, through fireplaces, and of course there's always the Knight Bus.  But we only use that in emergencies."  She looked at Sirius, Harry, Ginny and Anne, who all looked like they were waiting to hear more of an explanation.  "Well, it's damn uncomfortable!"

"And how do you fit into all of this Sirius?" asked Fred.

"Oh, well, ummm," begin Sirius haltingly.  He wasn't quite sure what to say.  Like Ginny, this wasn't a question he was expecting to be asked.

Harry watched Sirius and quickly intervened, "Sirius is my godfather.  He was best friends with my mum and dad when they were at school."  He hoped that would be enough of an explanation.

"And what about you Emily?  We've known you longer than Ginny even, and you never told us anything."  Fred was getting worked up again.  Anne was about to say something, then felt a hand on her shoulder.  Sirius had come up behind her and just given her a look that said 'leave them to it'.  She nodded imperceptibly.

"What about me Fred?  Do you share every intimate detail of your life with me, or Ginny for that matter?"  Emily was rising to anger again, and before Fred could react, she stood up and walked out, disappearing through the kitchen.

They heard a door slam.  She had gone out back to the garden.  Ginny released herself from Harry's embrace and rose up from where she was, but Fred stopped her.

"No I'll go Grace, sorry… Ginny.  She's angry at me, not you," he looked her right in the eye for a moment, before glancing back down to his feet.  "I'm sorry that I upset you."

"It's okay.  You had every right to be angry.  I'm sure I would've been too if the situation were reversed.  I just hope our explanation was a good one," she said trying to catch his gaze.

"Oh yeah.  It was good.  Even Steven Spielberg couldn't do better than that!" Fred said earnestly, a grin creeping into his face.  "Just… no more secrets okay?  You know we'd do anything for you, anything to help, right?  The more we know, the more we can help."

Ginny sighed gratefully, took a step forward and gave Fred a kiss on the check.  He looked taken aback, but then Phil and Shane got up and Phil said, "well, I'm glad to see you two have made up.  Now Ginny," he held out his arms, his gesture speaking for itself.

The foursome came together in a group hug, Anne watching them, a tear sneaking out of the corner of her eye, Sirius's hand was gently on her shoulder again, which was very comforting.  "You know, all this is making me feel very old all of a sudden," said Sirius sardonically, snorting, "kids…"

Fred took a step back from the group and said, "I should go and apologise to Emily."

~*~

Emily had stormed outside to the back garden.  She was angry and had decided to channel her anger by throwing some gnomes over the back fence into the gully that ran down the stream at the bottom of their property.  She was using such force that almost all of them were just laying on their backs where she threw them, momentarily stunned.

What gave Fred the right to judge her?  She hadn't done anything wrong!  Admittedly she hadn't told them she was a witch, but then the whole point of the wizarding world was to not tell muggles what was right in front of them.  She had struggled with this issue many times during her time at university, but she knew that on some level, she was protecting her friends by not telling them her secret.

And boy was she right!  Look at how Fred had reacted!

Her mind wandered back to the night before when she had entered the change rooms to find the boys tied up and Draco Malfoy waiting for her.  Although she had never truly imagined this scenario for her friends, she'd felt really bad seeing them struggle, seeing real fear in their eyes as they failed to understand what was happening.

And then, she being so powerless to help them.  The pain of the Cruciatus Curse came back to her in an instant and her feelings of hatred towards Malfoy rose to the surface once again.

She was wandering around the garden, which was at least an acre in size, flicking her wand at the tall reeds looking for more gnomes, when she heard a sound behind her.  She whipped around, her wand ready in an instant.

It was Fred.  She just stared at him, not saying a word, though she lowered her wand and tucked it back in her skirt.

By this time it was mid afternoon, and the sun was actually shining, which Emily might have really appreciated if there hadn't been so much going on.  Fred was approaching her slowly.  She couldn't read the look on his face.  He'd never looked this serious before.  This was a new Fred, one she couldn't automatically read.  He was always the joker, the outgoing one, he always had a ready smile and witty repartee.  He was good looking, in a boyishly handsome way, a textbook gorgeous smile; not that she'd ever really noticed these things before.

Until recently, she'd been rather focussed on Adam.  But what with Ginny's secret, Harry turning up, the shock of meeting him, being the go-between, going to school, study, and now last night's events to top it all off – she actually hadn't thought about Adam since the weekend she and Ginny had spent here, at her mums.

Her mind flashed to the scene of the boys tied up in the change rooms; she quickly scanned that scene, trying to figure out her feelings, and suddenly realised in a flash, that her emotions had been centred around Fred, more so that Phil or Shane.

Where did that come from?  She didn't have time to analyse it though; Fred was only a few feet away.  She shook her head and raised her head to look at him, defiant.

Fred had come outside, looked around for Emily and had seen her angrily flicking her wand at the tall reeds.  She whipped around at him, and despite the fact that she had drawn her wand, he walked slowly and determinedly across the garden towards her.

He still felt terrible about attacking Ginny the way he had, but at least he'd had the chance to apologise.

He still had to make things right with Emily.

They'd known each other for a few years now, and though they'd only ever been friends during this time, Fred was aware of another feeling that had arisen since last night.

As scared as he was at the time when he'd be bound and gagged, obviously with magic he realised now, when that man, Malfoy was it? had shot that curse at Emily, Fred had felt a very unfamiliar feeling course through his body.  He still wasn't quite sure why he'd had that reaction at all, but he knew that he had to tread gently now, whatever he said.

Not sure what to say first, Fred just looked at Emily for a moment.  The sun was shining, which was a nice change in winter, he noticed vaguely, and it was just silhouetting Emily in a way that made her appear luminescent.  For a second, he said nothing, transfixed, thinking how stunning she looked at that moment, then he remembered what he was doing there.

"I'm sorry Emily," Fred said quietly.

"Well, you should be," came the hurt reply.

"I know.  And I'm sorry.  I've apologised to Ginny too.  I'm still unsure why you never told me the truth; I mean you've known me longer than anyone… I guess, in a way, it hurt that you didn't trust me," he finished speaking, waiting for a response.

"How was I supposed to tell you about magic Fred?  I mean, seriously, do you think it's been easy for me all this time I've known you; easy to keep a secret like that, to deny who I really am, what I really am?" Emily spoke in a rush, releasing it all for the first time.  It felt good to get this off her chest.  "It was as much to protect you as anything else, you know," she said finally after another moment of awkward silence.

"I know.  I see that now.  Look, I came out to apologise and I have.  You have every right not to accept my apology.  I know I've hurt you and I really didn't mean to.  Put it down to complete ignorance of… well, everything."  Fred paused again, hoping this was coming out right.  He didn't want to fight with Emily.  They'd never had an argument like this before, it was unchartered territory for both of them.

"I do trust you, you know.  And telling you would have been the easy thing to do, but not necessarily the responsible thing.  Knowing about wizards wouldn't have helped you last night.  In fact, the fact that you were completely unaware is probably what saved your life.  Malfoy, by all accounts, is mean and vindictive, loathes muggles and can be quite vicious as you saw.  You're lucky he didn't seriously hurt you."  Emily took a deep breath, and looked away.

"How are you?" The question took her by surprise.

"How am I?  What do you mean… ohhhh the Cruciatus Curse.  Yeah, well, it sure doesn't tickle, but I'm fine, really," she said, hoping she was convincing him.  She was actually still sore, and achy all over, but she wouldn't let anyone know that.  Her mum would be all over her if she thought she was the least bit under the weather.

"Well, you don't fool me Em," said Fred, eyes narrowing, as he cast a glance at her from head to toe.  "You're still suffering, I can tell.  You think no one's noticing when you wince, or take a quick breath in when you think no one's looking… but you're not as tough as you like to think you are.  Come inside and rest."  Fred was holding out his hand.

Emily looked at his hand, being held out to her.  Their fight was over, they were still friends, and he was holding an olive branch to her.  She hesitated for only a moment, then slid her hand into his.  It felt… good, comforting somehow.  She wasn't sure what she was feeling, and put it down to not feeling 100%.

Fred entwined his fingers through hers, absently noticing that it was a rather intimate way for friends to hold hands, but at that precise moment… he didn't really care.  He was just glad they were back on good terms again.  A small part of his brain acknowledged that there was more to their friendship than either of them were admitting to, but for the moment he ignored it.

They walked back towards the house to join the others.

~*~

"Well, I think we all deserve a drink," said Sirius walking into the kitchen.

Fred and Emily had come back in from the garden, and everyone was just chatting idly, Phil and Shane asking questions about the wizarding world.  Harry had just started to tell them about Quidditch, when Sirius came back from the kitchen with a Butterbeer for everyone.

Fred, Shane and Phil eyed the drinks a little warily, but to their credit, responded with true Aussie spirit, "we'll try anything once," said Fred, and Shane followed quickly with "yeah, and that which doesn't kill us can only make us stronger" winking at Phil.

Sirius wandered over to the window again, trying to look casual, but Anne wasn't fooled.  She wandered over to stand beside him quietly.  He glanced down at her, wondering again why Remus hadn't told him he was being sent to Anne.

"So, what's up Sirius?" Anne said quietly, so as not to draw attention to their conversation.

"Nothing, why?"

"Well, I know it's been a while, but I know that look, that stance.  You look like you're standing guard.  Oh don't worry," Anne said quickly, when Sirius turned to her looking worried, "I don't think Emily or the boys have noticed, but I remember what it was like before Trevor died."  He voiced drifted off, as if she was remembering.

"Anne, I…" Sirius began to speak.

"No, it's okay.  It's been a long time Sirius.  It's not painful anymore, but I do remember everything about those times.  Those of us in the Order were always on guard duty at some point during the day or night.  I remember seeing you stand guard many a time, when you weren't off doing something dangerous for Dumbledore."  Anne paused.  She hadn't spoken about this for the longest time.  She and Emily would talk about Trevor from time to time, but they had both moved on a long time ago.  Not from his memory as such, but time is a great healer.

"Trevor used to get this, I don't know, look on his face when he stood guard, and when I saw you at the window earlier, something just triggered a memory.  I realised what you were doing.  Do you think we're in danger?" Anne asked pensively, a little nervous of the answer.

"Not in immediate danger anyway.  I know you've got magical, protective wards on the house and your property, which is understandable, even during peace times, but I've added to them since I've been here.  I hope you don't mind," Sirius responded quietly, keeping an eye on the young ones, as well as an eye on their surrounds.

"No, I don't mind you protecting my family, Sirius," Anne replied, looking up into his piercing blue eyes.

Sirius's heartbeat did a funny flip-flop.  Anne had the most amazing aura about her.  She had hazel eyes, which seemed to changed colour with whatever she was wearing.  She had long, thick, straight, dark strawberry blonde hair.  It was quite a combination.  She had a serenity about her now that he hadn't noticed when they were young.  Sirius didn't remember noticing it years ago, but he couldn't help noticing it now.  Had she always been this way?  Why the hell hadn't he noticed her before?

He stopped his brain from entering unchartered territory, and forced it back on track.  "Well, it's my family that I'm protecting too.  And I don't just mean Harry… Ginny's practically family.  Even if it isn't official yet, it won't be long, of that I'm positive."  He smiled at the thought, but was saddened yet again by the fact that James and Lily wouldn't be here to see Harry and Ginny get married, as he knew they would, one day.

"Sirius stop doing that," Anne said quietly, but sternly.

"What?" Sirius seemed genuinely surprised as to what he'd just done to justify that response.

"You have to stop thinking of Harry's future, and feeling guilty about James's and Lily's absence from it at the same time.  It's time to let it go.  James and Lily wouldn't want you to feel guilty for the rest of your life.  They know you did everything you could to protect Harry when he was a baby, and after you escaped from Azkaban."  She was looking at him, pleading silently with her eyes; she caught his hand in her own, squeezing it gently, compassion for him flooding through her heart, "it's time for you to move on Sirius.  You're entitled to a life, free of guilt and burdens, just as Harry is.  You've paid your debt, a hundred-fold, and some.  Let it go."

Sirius had been looking at her, and had the overpowering urge to kiss her, but it was hardly a wise move with a room full of youngsters, and he didn't think Emily would be impressed with that move, as he was sure Anne wouldn't be either.  But the way she was looking at him; it just stole his breath away.  He wondered, fleetingly, if she felt the same way, right at this moment.

He looked away, outside again, conscious of her hand linked with his, in between their bodies.  His time in Azkaban and the fight against Voldemort, on either side of that sojourn, had certainly curtailed his social life, if nothing else.  He'd had plenty of girls chasing him whilst he was at Hogwarts, but once Dumbledore had inducted him, James, Remus, Lily and Peter into the Order in their final year at Hogwarts, girls and a social life had ceased to exist and nothing else had mattered but surviving and defeating Voldemort.

He glanced back down at Anne, feeling inexplicably shy all of a sudden, and simply said, "Thank you."

Anne just smiled back at him, and squeezed his hand again.

"And you really fly around on broomsticks, and hit balls through the air?" exclaimed Phil loudly, bursting into Anne and Sirius's quiet moment.

"Yep," replied Harry grinning.  He was enjoying himself, Quidditch was his favourite sport in the whole world, and he had really missed not being able to play, whilst looking for Ginny.  Not that he was complaining.  Ginny was far more important than playing Quidditch professionally.  "I wish I could show you.  It's much easier to understand once you've seen a game played."

"Why can't you show us?" asked Shane.

"Well, a few reasons; we need somewhere secluded so that muggles can't see us, I'm also not sure it's safe at the moment, after last night.  We don't know where Malfoy is, or what his next move might be," concluded Harry, matter-of-factly, looking at Sirius.

"Well, you're right about Malfoy, Harry," Sirius was thoughtful, looking down at his shoes, contemplating the situation.  "He could be anywhere, although I think we're pretty safe here. Unless he knows how to track a Portkey, and I don't think he's that good, I think we'll be safe as long as we stay here.  At least until we figure out what our next move should be."

"Oh, can't you just show us a little bit of flying?  I mean there's no neighbours anywhere near us, and the hedge that surrounds the property is really, really high.  We'd be safe from prying eyes for a bit, won't we?" enthused Fred.

Harry looked at Sirius, then towards Anne, raising his eyebrows at how close they were standing together, resisted the urge to grin, and waited for an answer.  They let go of each other's hand quickly, before anyone else noticed, Anne moving to a spare chair to sit in.

It was true, the hedge would keep out prying eyes, and the property actually sloped downhill a reasonable amount, towards a little stream; Sirius considered the situation very carefully and then spoke again, commanding everyone's attention.

"I hate to spoil the mood at the moment, but I need to remind everyone why we happen to all be together right now.  We have a problem to deal with.  Malfoy.  But how about a compromise?  Ginny here, owes me a duel, which happens on the ground, but at least our wands will be out if we need them.  What do you think Anne?" Sirius turned to Anne, holding her gaze a little longer than necessary, before lowering his eyes to the floor.

Anne, acting as though nothing was going on between her and Sirius, piped up straight away.  "I think that's a good idea actually.  A bit of practising certainly wouldn't hurt.  I could do with brushing up on my Defence Against the Dark Arts skills.  They haven't exactly been tested for a while."

Well, that's settled then, let's go!" cried Fred excitedly.

~*~

A few hours later…

The boys were having a blast, totally ignorant of the danger that Draco Malfoy presented.  Ginny and Sirius started off the afternoon's 'entertainment' with a friendly duel.  Given that three years had passed since either of them had had to use serious magic to defend themselves, they were both surprisingly good, very quick with their defensive magic.  The funniest sight, though, was seeing them both jinx each other with the same spell at precisely the same time.  They both cried "Expelliarmus!" and the spell knocked them both off their feet and flat on their backs.

In particular, the trio were laughing the hardest.  It was a wonderful sight.  Not having ever seen magic before, it was such an eye opener for the boys, and Harry, Anne and Emily were laughing at them, as much as they were laughing at Ginny and Sirius.

Anne was chuckling away at Sirius.  He had this cocky streak that even Azkaban hadn't changed, and it had got in the way of his defending some brilliant moves that Ginny had sent his way.  He was still grinning though, which was the important thing.

The sun was almost down, clouds scudding across the sky.

"Hey, I'm getting hungry," said Sirius.  "How about we go in and have some dinner?"

"What the matter Sirius?" teased Ginny.  "Have I got the better of you?"  Her eyes alight with laughter and amusement.

"Stupefy!" yelled Sirius.

"Protego!!" cried Ginny at that precise moment blocking his spell, making Sirius duck when it came back at him, and a split second later yelling, "Tarantellegra!"

Before Sirius could react and block the spell again, it had hit him and his legs were going in every direction.  Ginny was almost crying with mirth, and Harry was rolling in the grass clutching his side, he was laughing so much.

Anne, too, was laughing, but she whipped out her wand and said gently, "Finite incantatem" to end the spell.  Sirius collapsed to the ground, looking rather sheepish.

"Thanks Anne," he mumbled, getting to his hands and knees.  Harry jumped up and reached out his hand to Sirius, helping him to his feet.

Harry glanced at Ginny, the tiniest grin touching his lips, she ducked her head, quickly hid her smile, and then lifted her head to look at Sirius, a dead straight look on her face.  Harry was impressed.  She looked so genuinely serious, and was amazed that she had pulled it off.

She cross to Sirius and held out her hand.  "No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings," replied Sirius, a tiny smile cricking the corner of his mouth.  "Thank goodness you're on our side.  I'd hate to be fighting you for real."

"Thanks," replied Ginny, looking a little proud.  "How about we go inside and have dinner?  I'm starving!  You know," she said walking off, hand in hand with Harry, and looking over her shoulder at Sirius, "winning always make me hungry!"  She took one look at his face, instantly realising her mistake, and bolted out of Harry's grasp and ran straight into the house, Sirius almost catching her as she reached the door.

Harry and Anne shared a smile and followed them in, with Emily and the boys following quickly in their footsteps.


	11. Unexpected Visitors

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Authors Notes:  Thanks to everyone who reviewed… Here is the next chapter… We hope you all enjoy it… 

Over the next few days I'll be going back and reloading chapters 1 – 8 both Carolyn and I have done another round of editing, and have found a few mistakes and problems with continuity… 

Don't forget to review… and please go and read my new story, 'Wishes do come true' it is a one chaptered fic'let, that is complete… 

Rhiain__

Chapter 11

**Unexpected Visitors**

~*~

"Ron!  Would you hurry up!!  Were going to be late!!" called Hermione from the lounge room, where she was busy transfiguring their luggage to miniature size so they could travel easily.

"Hang on!  Pig won't go into his cage!  Bloody git!" called Ron mumbling the last bit under his breath, as he caught Pig and shoved him into the cage.

"I floo'd your mum and told her we were a little late, but if we don't get going we're going to miss our portkey," said Hermione starting to get a little on edge, as it was 9.30am and their portkey left at 10.00am.

"Okay, I'm ready… I'll floo with Pig, you take Crookshanks; I'll meet you there…" replied Ron walking in from the kitchen.

"Okay, see you there" said Hermione pulling out her wand and disapparating with a 'pop'.  Once she arrived she was greeted by Molly and bent down to pick up little Leo who was walking over to her with his arms held up as if to say "I want to come up!!"

"Morning Mum!" greeted Ron as he dusted himself off after his floo trip, he walked over to her giving her a quick hug.  "We're sorry to have to have to drop everything and run but if we don't hurry we wont make our portkey!!" said Ron looking around for his dad.

"Where's Arthur?" asked Hermione almost as if she was reading his mind.

"He said he should be home by the time you got here but he must be running late" answered Molly taking Leo from Hermione.  "You'd better get going… have a good trip, say hello to Bill and Fleur for me" said Molly as Ron and Hermione disapperated. 

~*~

"Come on" said Hermione dragging Ron over to the check-in desk.  "Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger to Melbourne, Australia at 10.00am please," said Hermione handing over the tickets over to the girl behind the desk.

"Room 27, just touch the paper cup, it will depart in exactly five minutes and thirty five seconds" said the girl.

"Thank you" said Hermione.

"RON!!  HERMIONE!!  RON!!"  

Ron turned around to where he to where he thought he heard his name being called and saw his dad running towards them.

"I'll be back in a second Hermione" said Ron running in the direction of his father.

"HURRY" called Hermione after him.

"Dad!  What are you doing here?" asked Ron when he reached Arthur.

"I wanted to give you this.  I pulled some strings in Australia and I've organised for you to be met by a ministry car," said Arthur handing over a sheet of parchment to give to the driver.   "Tell her… tell her that we love her regardless of what that… that…"

"Bastard?" supplied Ron.

"Yeah, but don't let your mother catch you using that language," said Arthur.  "You'd better go, Hermione looks like she is going to have kittens," he said looking at Hermione standing over by the check-in gates wringing her hands.

"Thanks dad!  We'll be home next Monday… oh can you send Bill an owl to tell him that mum thinks we are there?" asked Ron walking backwards, towards Hermione, still talking to his dad. 

"I'll head back to the office and floo him now, good luck!!" called Arthur.

~*~

Everyone bustled back into the house.  Sirius and Ginny headed upstairs to freshen up, as they were all hot and sticky after duelling so intently.  Harry watched, as Sirius put his arm around Ginny's shoulders, smiling.

"It's good to see you haven't forgotten any of your studies," said Sirius giving Ginny's shoulders a squeeze as they walked upstairs.

"Actually, I'm surprised that I remembered anything at all.  I literally haven't done any magic since I left The Burrow," replied Ginny, as they stopped outside Emily's room.

"Well, whether you use it or not, your powers are always there.  It's something you can't lose, you know," said Sirius sardonically.

"Yeah, I guess," said Ginny quietly, looking at Sirius.

Sirius took her in his arms and hugged her tight.  "It's really good to see you again, Gin.  We've been so worried about you, all this time."

Ginny, surprised by Sirius's gesture, hugged him back fiercely.  It had been a long time since she'd been hugged by an adult, and this was almost like having her dad with her again.  "I know, and I'm sorry for running away."  She looked lost for a moment, as she let him go.

"Ginny, we understand; well, your family _will_ understand once they know what really happened."

"What do you mean?  Don't they know what happened?"

"No," responded Sirius quietly.

"Why?  Wha.." Ginny was momentarily confused and speechless.

"Harry didn't tell anyone at first.  It took Ron and Hermione three days to wear him down enough to the point where he told them, but only on the condition that they tell no one else, and they promise to let him go find you - alone."  Sirius was a little confused at her reaction, but said nothing.  What had those two talked about last night?  Well, maybe the little details weren't that important when you were with the love of your life, he thought to himself.  He smiled again.  "Ginny, Harry didn't want to tell anyone.  He knew how you would be feeling, and he wanted to spare you that."

Ginny was overwhelmed.  Harry had kept this secret to himself, for three years.  She loved him more than ever.  She turned to go back downstairs, but Sirius stopped her.

"Leave it Ginny.  Go and get changed, freshen up.  You can talk later."

Ginny nodded, a little numb all over and went into Emily's room to change.  Sirius watched her until the door closed behind her and went to his room to do the same, sighing to himself.

~*~

Both the kitchen and lounge room were a hive of activity.  Fred was in the kitchen chatting to Anne as she got dinner ready, offering to help.  Emily, Shane and Phil were relaxing in the lounge room with Harry, talking about… yep you guessed it.  Magic.

Before too long everyone was at the table tucking into a hearty dinner.  It was dark outside, but if you looked out the window, there were dozens of little lights flying all over the garden.  Magical fireflies.

Ginny watched them for a moment, thinking how pretty they were, when Harry took her hand in his.  She turned, looking at him.  Now that she'd had time to recover from the past twenty four hours, there were questions that she needed to address, painful though some of them might be.  "Can we go into the lounge room for a moment?" she asked quietly.

"Sure.  Anne could you excuse us for a moment?" asked Harry.

"Oh, of course, I'll get the boys to tidy up tonight, the muggle way!" replied Anne gleefully, before returning her gaze to Sirius and continuing their conversation.

"So have you been back to your parents' home?" Anne was asking Sirius.

"Yes, I did go back briefly after we'd defeated Voldemort.  But I've been living with Remus since the war finished.  It's such a huge place for just one person, and it's been left for so long that it needs a major time commitment and resources to get it back to the way it was."

"So what's stopping you from doing that?"  She knew the answer.  She knew about his family and relatives, and their association with Voldemort.  But she'd decided that it was time to draw him out and to get him talking about 'real' things again.  There was a wall around him, and his heart, and she wanted to break it down.

"I don't know.  I don't have any happy memories of that home, or any happy association with it.  Also, I think it's been good for Moony to have Padfoot around each month for his transformations.  Padfoot's always had a calming presence on the werewolf, and if nothing else we're good company for each other."  He stopped, aware that he'd been rambling somewhat.

"I'm sure you and Remus _are_ good for each other.  But is that really what's stopping you?" she pursued quietly.

Sirius looked at Anne.  For a moment, time stopped.  And then his brain kicked back in and realised she was watching him carefully, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know Anne," he replied, almost mumbling.

"Yeah you do," she persisted gently.

"Anne, I just said…" he was getting annoyed.  How did she manage to get to him so easily?  It was like she could see right inside him, and it made him very uncomfortable.  Again.  Now that Harry had found Ginny, maybe it was time to…

Anne intruded on his thoughts abruptly.  "Let's go outside for a walk.  We don't want youngsters listening to our private conversations do we?"  She stood up and glanced at the four remaining youngsters, who were oblivious, chatting away about school, magic, the pub, magic… "they won't even notice we've gone."

She lead the way, collecting their cloaks and a few blankets, and as they stepped outside and closed the door, she took his hand and wandered off towards the stream, leading a slightly bewildered and nervous Sirius.

~*~

Ginny and Harry were getting comfortable on the couch.  Harry chose the couch that was facing the windows, just in case anything happened.

"What's up Gin?"  Harry looked down at her bent head, her hair falling like a curtain to hide her face.  He brought his hand underneath her chin, tilting it so she was looking at him.  He kissed her tenderly on the lips.  "What's wrong?"

"You didn't tell my family what happened?"

Harry hadn't been expecting this.  He dropped his hand to her knee, trying to gauge whether she was mad at him or not.  "No, I didn't."

Ginny didn't say anything, but waited for him to continue.

"I, I… didn't want to upset them any more than they already were.  When we couldn't find you and I realised that you had just disappeared, I knew why; but your family were so upset, and I knew if I told them what had happened they… well, they would have either have been even _more_ upset, or I figured they would tear up the whole of England looking for you, and I didn't think you'd want that.

"I'd already figured out why you'd run away, and I knew that you needed time to sort things out in your head, but as each day passed and you didn't return, well…" Harry faltered for a moment, not quite sure how to explain about Ron and Hermione.

"Sirius told me about Ron and Hermione."  Ginny's face was expressionless.  For the first time, in all the time he'd known her, he couldn't figure out what was going on inside her head.

"I'm sorry Ginny.  Really sorry.  I tried for three days to ignore their pleas, but, well you know how insistent both Ron and Hermione can be.  I mean you're Ron's sister, his family; and he was demanding answers.  He even threatened to get some Veritaserum to force me to tell him what had happened."  Ginny smiled at that.  It was so like Ron.  He would do whatever was necessary if he thought it would help someone in danger.

"I mean it was really awful.  I've never seen Ron that upset.  I mean he cried Ginny, Hermione too.  Well, I suppose that shouldn't surprise you," said Harry with a wry grin.

"No, it doesn't about Hermione, but Ron being _that_ upset.  It's a first.  At least where I'm concerned anyway."

"He loves you Ginny.  He's been so worried about you.  He doesn't express it very well, even in letters, but…" he wondered if he should tell her how they reacted to the news.

"So how did they react when you finally told them?"  Ginny smiled benignly at him, knowing she'd just read his mind.

"One day you're going to tell me how you do that," said Harry, before taking a deep breath and continuing.  "They were horrified.  More tears.  Actually it was more like a shocked silence if you know what I mean.  We were at The Notch the whole three days.  They couldn't speak, they didn't know what to say."

There was silence as Ginny took all this in.  One part of her was a little mad.  It was one thing to be gone all these years, thinking that everyone would know why, and it was another entirely to realise that her family, apart from Ron, knew nothing about what had happened.  And obviously Sirius had only found out since he'd arrived at Anne's.

"Ginny, say something, please?"  Harry was worried.  Had he done the right thing all this time?  Should he have told her family what had really happened?  His instincts told him he'd made the right decision.  Trying to keep them from trying to find her would have been impossible.  It had been tough enough as it was to lie to a family of people that he loved and respected very much.

Ginny was looking away from Harry, staring at nothing whilst she processed everything.  She heard his voice, nervous and pleading, and focussed on him again.  She looked into his green eyes, captivated as though it was the first time she'd ever seen them.  He was so beautiful, to her anyway.  She reached up to his face with her hands and placing them on either side, drew him to her so could kiss him, thoroughly.

A few minutes later they were breathless and giddy.  She drew back, tears sparkling like diamonds in her eyes.  Harry looked panicked for a moment, until she spoke, her voice soft, deep and gentle and quavering.

"I love you so much."  Harry breathed a sigh of relief.  Ginny laughed quietly at him.  "With nothing to go on, but blind faith, love and a bloody truck load of luck, you spared my family more pain, protected me and… thank you."  She kissed him again, murmuring her thanks in between kisses, a single tear escaping down her cheek, through his fingers.

~*~

It was a perfect, cloudless night.  The moon shone clearly, filtering through the trees, spreading a silvery light over everything.

Sirius and Anne had walked down to the stream, and were sitting on one of the blankets.  The other blanket was folded up and they were using it as a pillow, as they lay side by side, looking up into the night sky.

Sirius's mind was whirling with confused thoughts and emotions.  Why had she brought him out here?  She hadn't spoken a word since they'd left the house.  It was like she was waiting for him to say something, but what did she want him to say?  It had been her, Harry and him for a bit now, and now it was just the two of them, he was inexplicably shy – a feeling he was completely foreign too.  Navigating a relationship with Harry over time was one thing, but this was completely different.

Anne glanced over Sirius, wondering how long he could keep the silence up.  She'd been questioning her response towards him for a few days now, wondering what was driving her.  Like most women, she tended to think everything through, examine every angle, every emotion; and that was what she was thinking about now.  Her feelings for Sirius.

She'd known the second she opened the door to him nearly a week ago… was it only a week?  It felt like so much longer to her.  She'd known that Remus had sent him to her for a reason other than her being in the right place at the right time to help Sirius; and she was pretty sure of his motives too.  Long before she'd fallen in love with her husband, Trevor, she'd had a crush on Sirius.

Not that he'd ever known.

Lily had known, of course, but then girls always kept their secrets.  Even James had never known how she'd felt.  Anne had just watched him throughout school, and had known that it could never be.  He was too good looking, too arrogant, too confident, just too… much.  She'd never felt that she was his equal.  And truth be told, not many students were, during their Hogwarts days.  Sirius and James had been the most powerful wizards during those seven years, as Severus had discovered all too well.  She smiled and let out a small laugh, her mind allowing itself to drift back over happy memories.

"What are you laughing at?" asked Sirius quietly.  He was leaning up on his elbow, looking down at Anne, wondering what she was thinking.

"Oh, I was just reminiscing about our school days.  I was just thinking what a smart arse you were, and I was fondly remembering how much you tortured poor Severus," she smiled up at him.  She'd given him an 'in', without even meaning too.  But she was glad nonetheless.

"Well, he always was a slimy, greasy git wasn't he?  I guess we were pretty horrible to him, though."

"What's this?  The infamous Sirius actually repentant after all these years.  I thought I'd never see the day.  Sounds almost like you're about to apologise Sirius.  That's not like you," Anne's voice, filled with laughter, washed over Sirius like the sea.

"Hey, who said anything about apologising?  Hell will freeze over before I apologise to Snape," Sirius snapped sulkily, pulling grass out of the ground as he spoke.  He looked over at Anne, realising too late, that she was teasing him again.  "I'm sorry Anne.  I didn't mean to snap at you.  I'm just… well…" again he was lost for words.

"Oh my, Sirius Black lost for words.  I should call the paper.  They'd love to hear about this," she was shaking with repressed laughter.  He looked like he was ready to throttle her, and it looked like it was taking a great deal of restraint on his part.  "So you were saying?"

She was looking at him again in that way.  That way she had of just… boy he was getting in over his head.  This wasn't right what he was feeling.  He silently cursed Remus for sending him to Anne, and it suddenly hit him, like a light being flicked on suddenly in the dark.  Was that why he'd sent him to Anne?  No.  Don't be ridiculous, he thought to himself.  He shook his head and focussed on Anne again.

"What?"  He couldn't remember what they were talking about.  She was having way too much of an affect on his equilibrium.  He'd have to tread carefully.

"I asked, what were you saying?  You said you didn't mean to snap and that you were just… what?  You were about to saying something else.  What was it?"

"Oh, well… I… er…," he wished she'd stop looking at him like that.  If he didn't know any better, he'd've guessed that she wanted to kiss him, but his 'girl' radar was probably rusty.  "Anne, would you quit looking at me like that?"  Sirius cursed himself for speaking his mind, got up from the blanket and walked off.

Anne reacted quickly, wondering if she'd pushed him too far, too soon.  "Sirius, wait!"  She hurried to catch him up, "What's wrong?"  He kept walking.  "Sirius?  Stop walking so fast and talk to me!" she cried out, pleadingly, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him abruptly to a stop.  "What just happened?"  She was slightly out of breath, and so was he, but probably for a different reason.  He was mad at her, she realised, momentarily bewildered by this turn of events.

Sirius came to a stop, shaking his arm out of her grasp and faced her.

"Look we can stand here all night and just repeat that entire last portion of the conversation, to the point where you run off again, or you can actually tell me what's going on inside your head, Sirius," she stood in front of him, feet apart, arms crossed in front of her, looking right at him and not blinking.    She couldn't have done this twenty years ago, but today… things were different.

Sirius blinked once, and then spoke quietly.  "Do you miss him?"

Anne didn't betray what went through her mind in a flash.  Where the hell had that come from?  She ignored it and replied, "stop avoiding the issue Sirius."

"I'm not.  Please… answer the question.  I promise it's related to what I was going to say."

Anne wondered where this was going, and as unexpected as it might be, she trusted her instincts and replied.  

"Sometimes, but it's been such a long time Sirius.  I've been alone now far longer than we were together.  I don't think I miss Trevor, as much as I miss the idea of him."  Anne paused wondering how Sirius would take her answer.

"And do you have any close male friends?"  Sirius didn't want to show his hand about how he was feeling, without seeing if Anne was in the same place as he was.

Anne pursed her lips, raised her eyebrows at him, but answered anyway.  "Not close, no.  I mean not close like the Marauders anyway.  But I do have male work associates."

Sirius had shoved his hands in his jean pockets, as much because they were cold as because he didn't know what the hell to do with them at that moment.  That wasn't quite true, he admitted to himself.  He knew exactly what he _wanted_ to do with them; that's why they were in his pocket.  Much safer.  He shrugged a shoulder and answered her.

"I haven't had a woman tease me like that since Lily, and…" he appeared lost for words again, lost in a memory that looked a mixture of happy and painful, "… and I'm just not used to it.  I really do apologise.  I'm not the best at… well… anything to be honest, when it comes to these things anymore.  I think I lost any people skills I had in Azkaban years ago."

He looked so cute, Anne thought, standing there in the moonlight, eyes downcast, using a foot to play with the leaves on the ground, his eyelashes sweeping the tops of his cheeks.  He had no idea how totally, charmingly disarming he was right at that moment.  She smiled and waited for him to gather his courage and look at her again.  This was a game in a way, and she just hoped he didn't realise what she was up to, in case he went back into his shell again.

Finally, Sirius raised his head to find Anne looking at him intently, smiling.  He shoved down the instinct to turn and run again, and stood his ground.

There was a silence that hung comfortably in the air; a tiny breeze shifted the leaves in the bushes, but apart from that – everything was still.  The only movement coming from the two adults by the stream.

Eventually, he couldn't help himself, he felt the corners of his mouth tugging upwards in a smile.  She was laughing at him, the little minx!  He was torn between wanting to kiss her or walk off on her again.  The smile, such that it was, won.

"Oh, come on now, you can do better than that, let's see a real smile…. there you go!  See Sirius, the problem with you Brits is that you're way too stuck up.  You're just not used to it, but it's time you got used to it again," Anne replied, thoroughly delighted at the myriad of expressions that kept flitting across his face.

"What do you mean by that?"  Sirius was confused, and a little scared at where this was all leading.

"I mean, you've been in 'fight' mode for far too long Sirius."  Anne took a step closer to Sirius so that there were only a few inches separating them.  She looked up at him steadily, her heart beating so hard and so loudly in her eardrums, she was surprised he couldn't hear it.  She knew she was flirting with him; it surprised how easy this was; Anne was secretly having a ball.  She also knew that it was killing him not to act on his feelings.

"What did I say to you this afternoon?  The war is over, you've got to let people get close to you again.  And I don't mean Harry, Ginny, Remus or the Weasley's.  They're safe bets.  I'm talking about all the other people in the world.  You don't have to be afraid of everyone anymore.  You're a free man.  You're a brave man.  You're a good man.  You deserve to be as happy as Harry and Ginny," finished Anne.  She took a deep breath, hoping some of this had made an impact on him.

Sirius just stared at Anne.  He could hardly believe what she was saying.  Why was she saying it?  He wasn't in fight mode.  He hadn't been for three years.

"I can read your mind, you know," Anne interrupted his thoughts again.  Sirius started a little.  "Oh no you don't  Don't get all nervous on me now Sirius, it's just a girl thing.  We're better at it than men, it's as simple as that."  She paused for a moment, not wanting to bombard him totally all in one go, and yet she knew she was almost there with him.  "You have been playing it safe, emotionally, is what I'm trying to say.  Have you met anyone since you defeated Voldemort?"

Sirius's mind was racing to keep up with Anne.  How had he never realised how amazing she was?  He shook his head, finally realising where all this was leading; and realising the truth of what she said.  It wasn't that he hadn't met anyone in the past three years, it was just that he hadn't been involved with anyone for so long, he almost couldn't remember the last girl he went out with.  And it would have been a girl.  It was back in his Hogwarts days…  too long ago.  He shook his head in response, unable to look anywhere, but at her.

"I didn't think so.  And I understand why, better than you think."  She'd come to care about him a great deal in the past week; not just as a friend, but she'd allowed herself to become emotionally invested again.  It was the scariest place she could be in, but she had some demons to face too.

Sirius was watching Anne watch him, biting her lower lip unconsciously, every nerve in his body tensed, as if ready to jump and run.  But he wasn't going to run from this.  He needed her, he realised, like he needed air.  He closed the gap between them, bent down close and captured her lips with his - an unexpected passion rising within him.  Anne began kissing him back, when…

Sirius broke off suddenly, "Anne I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."  He mentally kicked himself at his lack of restraint, and looked away.

"Don't be," she said quietly, moving in to his line of sight again.

"But what about…?" he couldn't form the words.

"Trevor?  That was a long time ago Sirius."  She slid her arms around his waist, tilted her head to one side, looking at him wistfully.

Sirius paused for a millisecond and then gathered her up in his arms and kissed her again.  It was incredible, this feeling.  He'd forgotten what this felt like.

~*~

Meanwhile inside, the youngsters were having a great time, hardly noticing that Anne and Sirius had been gone for over an hour.  Emily was delighting the boys with yet more magic; this time in the form of Exploding Snap.  Add a few more Butterbeers and they were slightly raucous group.

Harry and Ginny were relaxed and happy.  Blissfully content in fact.  Harry thanked Merlin that Ginny had found such great friends.  They were genuine, loyal and even if they weren't aware of it, they were devoted to each other in a sense.  He knew the boys would do anything for Ginny, and Emily, and obviously that feeling was reciprocated.

They heard the back door open and close and soon Anne and Sirius appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, where have you two been?" asked Emily.

"Just out for a walk.  Not that any of you noticed, by the looks of it," replied Anne happily.

Harry was scrutinising them carefully.  He'd noticed them holding hands earlier that afternoon by the window, and was just wondering what was going on between the two of them.  And as much as he cared for Sirius, he would never consider just asking him outright.  But he did wonder.   He raised his eyebrow at Sirius, smiling.

"Well, who's winning?" asked Sirius, ignoring the look Harry was giving him.  He wasn't ready to let anyone know anything, at this point.

"Well, I'm not really sure," supplied Fred.  "I'm just trying to figure out the strategy behind it all."

"Hmmm, pity you're a muggle, you might have made a good Auror," mused Sirius, with a smirk.

At that moment, there was a knock on the front door.

Everyone froze.  Not the normal reaction maybe, but what with everything had happened in the last twenty four hours, it was the last thing they were expecting.  Harry stood up quickly, his mind racing.

"Fred, Shane, Phil, upstairs quickly into Emily's room.  Anne, you open the door, but flick on the outside light at the same time.  I think the rest of us should be out of sight, but wands at the ready."

All the wizards in the room were already in duel-ready stances, poised, waiting.  Sirius and Harry stood on either side of the front door, hidden in the darkness.  Ginny and Emily stood in the lounge and kitchen room door frames respectively.  Emily dimmed the lights, and they kept out of sight, just on the other side of the frames, waiting nervously.

Anne walked towards the door, her wand behind her back.  In one swift movement she flicked on the outside light and opened the front door.

~*~

Ron and Hermione walked out of the portkey departure gates to see a man standing holding a sign that read "Weasley". 

"That must be us," said Ron.

"Hmmm," replied Hermione walking up to him handing him the piece of paper Ron had given her earlier.

"This way Mr and Mrs Weasley" said the man simply.

"Oh were not… not yet anyway…"said Ron and Hermione together.

"Just this way" said the man "I have you down as a quick drive by tour then dropping you off at the address that you will supply is that correct?"

"Yes.  Excuse me, but what's the time here?" asked Hermione looking around for a clock.

"It's 7.10pm," he replied looking at his watch.

"Thanks … sorry what was your name?" she asked.

"David Curtis, but you can call me David" he said.

"I'm Hermione Granger and this is my fiancée Ron Weasley, but just Ron and Hermione will do," she said.  "How long will it take to get to here" she said handing him the bit of parchment that had Anne's address on it.

"Should be about two hours," said David.

"Do you mind if we miss the tour then?  They don't know we're coming, so we don't want to get there too late.  I hope that's not a problem?" she asked.

"That's okay, if you'll follow me to the car, we can get under way," said David.

The drive to Anne's was quiet.  Ron and Hermione talked quietly in the back seat about the differences between England and Australia, and how good it would be too see Harry again (and hopefully Ginny too), and before too long they were pulling up out the front of a house just outside of a little town.

"Here we are then, I hope you enjoy your stay," said David holding the door open for Ron and Hermione.

Ron & Hermione disembarked from the car.  David tipped his hat to them, got back in the car and drove off.  They stood there for a moment, a little scared now that they were actually here.  They held each others' hand, opened the front little gate, and walked down the path towards the front door.  They both noted how quiet it was this far out of the city.  It reminded them a little of home.

They glanced around them to see if anyone was about.  Ron inexplicably nervous and twitchy.  A few more steps and they'd reached the front door.

Ron raised his hand and knocked on the front door.


	12. Reunion

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Authors Notes:  Thanks to everyone who reviewed… Here is the next chapter… We hope you all enjoy it… 

Over the next few days I'll be going back and reloading chapters 1 – 8 both Carolyn and I have done another round of editing, and have found a few mistakes and problems with continuity… 

Don't forget to review… and please go and read my new story, 'Wishes do come true' it is a one chaptered fic'let, that is complete… 

Rhiain

Chapter 12

Reunion

~*~

_Ron raised his hand and knocked on the front door…_

"Do you think they're home?" asked Ron after a few seconds.  
  
"Shhh" whispered Hermione.  "Do you hear that?"  
  


~*~

As the door flew open Anne saw that there were two people standing at the door, one of them had his hand poised as if he were going to knock again.  Before Anne could say anything the young girl spoke up.

"Hello.  Sorry to bother you so late, but we were wondering if Harry Potter was staying here? asked Hermione.

"Hermione?  Is that you?" said Harry coming out of the shadows.  "Ron!  What are you doing here?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"HARRY!!" squealed Hermione throwing herself at him.  "It's so good to see you… oh Sirius... it's good to see you too," she said as she walked through the open doorway, past Anne, to hug Sirius as well.

"Harry," said Ron solemnly.

"Lo Ron," said Harry, not sure quite what to say or do for some reason; he hadn't seen Ron in nearly three years.  Hugging Hermione was different – you didn't have a choice.   "Good to see you," said Harry sticking out his hand to shake Ron's.  Ron took his hand, and then pulled him forward so he could hug him properly.

"Hiya Harry," said Ron gruffly, holding him close.

"Hem, hem," coughed Anne politely, smiling and clearly amused. 

"Sorry Anne," said Harry releasing Ron.  "This is Ron, Ginny's brother, and Hermione, his fiancé; my best friends," said Harry introducing them to Anne.

"It's so… " was all Anne got to say before…

"Hello Ron… Hermione," said Ginny in barely a whisper.  She walked towards them slowly, stepping up beside Harry nervously and slipping her hand into his.  Harry squeezed her hand gently.  He knew she wasn't prepared for this and would need his support.

"Gin," was all Ron could manage before closing the distance between them and grasping her in the tightest of hugs.  Ginny's eyes filled with tears, sliding inexorably down her cheeks.  Hermione and Harry stood by silently, arms around each other, with tears in their eyes, watching brother and sister reunite.

"Ron I'm so, s, s, sorry, I'm so sorry for everything…" Ginny managed to choke out.  She couldn't continue.  This was so overwhelming.  First Harry, and now…

"It's okay Ginny.  Shhhh.  It's okay.  It doesn't matter.  I'm just glad that Harry found you and that you're okay."  Ron stood rocking her gently, emotions flooding him on every level; relief that she was okay; grateful that Harry had found her; anger at Voldemort; and some at Harry and Ginny, but he would worry about that later.  He was just so happy to see them again.

"It's okay Gin.  I love you sis," said Ron comfortingly, his eyes damp and shining.

"Now all we need is Dumbledore, Remus and the twins and this would almost feel like we were back at Hogwarts," interrupted Sirius, trying to lighten the mood a little.  It had been an incredible 24 hours already, and now that Ron and Hermione had shown up unexpectedly, it was likely to be an interesting evening.  He wondered if there was a chance they would get to bed before 2.00am?

"It's good to see you Sirius," said Ron, moving from Ginny to shake his hand.

"You too Ron, but this _is_ a surprise, what the hell are you two doing here?" queried Sirius.

"Before we get into any of that, let's all grab a drink, make some introductions and get comfy in the lounge room," said Anne, always eminently practical.

"Oh before I forget Anne," said Ron, rummaging around in Hermione's shoulder bag, "I've got a letter for you from Remus, if I can just find it."  Ron finally found it and handed it over to Anne.

Anne took the letter and walked into the kitchen, reading it as she walked - smiling to herself.  She caught Sirius watching her and wondered how much longer she'd be able to keep her secret to herself.

"Also Harry, could I borrow Hedwig?" asked Ron, turning back to Harry.  "I promised Remus that we'd owl him after we got here to let him know that we'd arrived safely and that everything was okay."

"Sure," replied Harry, "although it's pretty late already.  Do you think Remus will mind if we send Hedwig off tomorrow morning?  That way, we can all write to him; he'd probably appreciate that."

"Yeah, don't see why not.  Sounds like a plan to me," grinned Ron.  He was glad to see Ginny, but he was just as excited to see Harry again.  They had been through so much together, and it was good to be back in the same space as him again.

As everyone filed into the lounge room, Harry hung back to talk to Anne and Sirius as they summoned Butterbeers to the lounge room for everyone.

"You know Harry," began Sirius quietly, "it'll be a really tight squeeze here now that Ron and Hermione have arrived.  I feel like we're beginning to outstay our welcome."

"Nonsense Sirius," interrupted Anne, "you're all welcome here for as long as you can stand it.  The thing is we don't have any more rooms to spare, unless you want to share with the boys.  Then Ron and Hermione could have your room Sirius."

"No, that's not fair on you Sirius," said Harry quietly.  He had the solution, but was a little worried about Sirius and Anne's reaction.

"What are you thinking Harry?" Sirius asked, noticing that Harry was just staring at the ground, his face expressionless.

"Huh? Oh, um, well I was thinking that maybe, um, I…" Harry stumbled over his words; he was nervous.  It was like asking Cho Chang to the Yule Ball in his fourth year at Hogwarts, only worse.  It was ridiculous!  He was an adult and so was Ginny - they weren't doing anything wrong.  This was allowed.  They didn't really _need_ to ask permission, although Harry knew it was the right thing to do.  Aside from that though; they deserved this.

"C'mon Harry, spit it out.  It can't be that bad," said Sirius watching him carefully.

"Oh, um, well, I was just thinking that Ginny and I would perhaps stay somewhere else for a few days."  He just left the words hanging in the air.  He hoped that they would understand, and he desperately prayed that Sirius wouldn't tease him.

Anne and Sirius glanced at each other; Sirius wondering why he hadn't realised that they'd probably wanted this since yesterday - Anne secretly delighted for them both.  And then they glanced back to Harry, keeping their faces straight.

"Well, that certainly would be one solution," Anne started to say, trying not to smile.

"Yes, it's definitely one solution," added Sirius, who was trying really hard not to succumb to his natural instinct to tease the hell out of his godson.

Harry stood watching them, knowing that it was killing Sirius not to say anything.

"That should certainly move things along to the next level, won't it?" said Sirius with a deadpan look on his face.  He held it for a moment… then lost it.  To give Sirius a little credit, he did duck his head so that he didn't have to look Harry in the eye.  Anne nudged him in the ribs.

"Sirius, you're being very unfair," Anne smiled mischievously back at Harry.  "I apologise for your godfather, he has no manners, or tact; although admittedly," her grin grew wider, "it's kinda hard to resist teasing you just a little bit."

Harry resigned himself to the teasing he just _knew_ would follow.  He leaned against the doorframe, crossed him arms and tried not to look embarrassed.  "Go on Sirius, get it off your chest.  I know you want to."

"No Harry, I won't tease you, I promise," Sirius couldn't wipe the smile off his face though.  "I know you were terrified of asking us though, and I'm sure Anne appreciates you making the suggestion."

"You know Harry," Anne said quietly, "you're an adult and you certainly don't need our permission to want to be together."  Harry squirmed uncomfortably where he stood, but fought back the urge to duck his head in embarrassment.  "Anyway, I think you both deserve to have some time to yourselves.  I'm just a little concerned about your safety though, with Malfoy out there."  Anne's eyes flicked up to Sirius, concerned and worried.

Sirius quickly reassured her.  "Well, I think if anyone can defend themselves, it's Harry and Ginny.  Let's give them a couple of nights, and then we'll see how the land lies on the Malfoy issue.  What do you think Harry, agreed?"  Sirius asked.

Harry simply nodded his head, grateful for the reprieve, and their acceptance of the situation.

"You can stay at the Blue Angel," suggested Anne.  "It's a little pub, much like the Leaky Cauldron really.  They always have spare rooms available.  It's just a few minutes away."

"Thanks Anne," Harry replied, before giving her a hug.  She held him close; already in a week, she'd come to love him as if he were her own son.  There was only so much one could make up for, but he was a remarkably well balanced individual - considering his life so far.

~*~

Meanwhile in the lounge room… as Anne, Sirius and Harry stay behind in the kitchen… "Fred, Phil, Shane!" hollered Emily up the stairs.  "It's safe to come down now!" 

"What do you mean by safe?  Did something happen?" asked Hermione.

"Malfoy attacked us yesterday," said Ginny, "and we weren't expecting anyone."

Before Ron and Hermione could react, they heard footsteps.  "So I take it you're one of Ginny's brothers?" asked Fred, as he walked into the lounge room with Phil and Shane close behind him.

"Yep, I'm Ron."

"Fred, Phil, Shane, Emily… this is my brother Ron and his fiancé Hermione," said Ginny as she introduced her friends to Ron and Hermione, and the boys all shook hands.

"Are you both… you know… wizards?" asked Shane.

"Yes, aren't you?" said Ron, a little confused.

"No, we're… what do you call it Em?" said Fred.

"Muggles," supplied Emily.

"Yeah, that's it, we're…" he said pointing to Shane and Phil next to him, "muggles."

"So Emily, Ginny was just telling us that you studied at the Melbourne Academy of Magic? What was it like, what did you study?" Hermione started to rattle on before Ron cut in.

"There's plenty of time to talk about that later Hermione," said Ron putting his hand on her knee, "how are _you_ Gin?" he asked.

"Okay.  I'm a little overwhelmed actually, I've spent the last three years running and now in the last twenty four hours everyone seems to have caught up with me… I'm feeling drained, emotionally and physically," she said, so glad to finally have Ron and Hermione near again.

"It wasn't your fault," whispered Ron, looking down at the floor.

"I know, but it wasn't until last night that Harry made me realise that I've never given myself any time to grieve, or time to think about what happened rationally.  All I could think of was what I'd done and I ran.  I mean… don't you, somewhere deep inside, blame me for killing Neville?"

"No, of course not!!  You did nothing wrong!  It was all _Voldemort_," said Ron vehemently.

"But Ron," Ginny's lower lip was trembling.  This was getting too much.  It was all… "you don't know what it's like.  To be controlled like that.  To not have the strength to fight it.  You come out of it like… like you've been in a trance… and then to see what I'd done," said Ginny wiping tears from her eyes.  "I mean, what about Neville's poor grandmother?  How can I ever face her?"  Ginny's face was a mask of grief.

Harry spoke from the doorway.  "She was told that he died a hero's death," he supplied quietly as Sirius, Anne and himself walked into the room, "he was given the Order of Merlin Third Class for bravery in the face of danger.

As they walked in, the boys got up off the couch and settled themselves down on the floor, allowing Sirius and Anne to sit down.  Harry walked behind where Ginny was sitting in the armchair and put a supporting hand on her shoulder.  Ginny reached up and grasped his hand in her own, like a lifeline.

Ron was watching Ginny like a hawk.  He hated to see her like this, so hurt and vulnerable.  Thank goodness she had Harry.  Ron knew that Harry would never let anything happen to her, but it just made him want to kill Voldemort all over again.  Just the satisfaction of seeing him die again would make him feel better, but Ron was feeling funny.  It was like being thrown back three years to the days just after she ran away.  He remembered in a flash the three days at The Notch with Harry and Hermione.

Harry had been so determined to protect her, and yet they'd all known each other for so long, he hadn't been able to stand up to them any longer; and he'd told them the truth.  And in a small way, Ron wished he hadn't.  For Ginny to have disappeared and not know where she was, was one thing.  To know that she ran away because of what she'd done, without saying anything, was something else.

"Ron, you're awful quiet," said Ginny, interrupting his thoughts.

"Hmmm," came the non-committal reply.  Ron was staring at the floor again, his chin resting in the palm of his hand, elbow on his knee.

"What's wrong?" prompted Ginny again.

"Nothing, why?"

"Well, we haven't seen each other in almost three years, and you've got nothing to tell me?  No news, gossip?  How are the Cannon's doing this year?"

"Well, you know, same as usual.  With Oliver Wood playing for Puddlemere United and Harry following you halfway around the world, the Cannon's are crap as usual."

"Well, it's nice to know some thing's haven't changed."

"Actually, a lot has changed, but you've just not been there to see it."  There was a sharp edge to his voice and Hermione looked at him a little warily.  She knew what was coming and tried to intervene before anything got out of hand.

"You're right Ron, lots has happened, but I'd really love to hear all about the course Ginny's doing in Melbourne."

Ginny was watching Ron carefully.  She'd heard the change in his tone and wondered what was going on.

Ron looked up at Ginny again, not even noticing everyone else in the room.  A palpable tension had suddenly filled the air.

"Did you even think about us when you ran away?"  The question came like a gunshot.

"Ron, I don't think…" began Hermione.

"No Hermione, it's okay," Ginny interrupted her quickly and softly.  "If Ron's got something to say, then he should say it."

"Well?"  Ron fixed his sister with a steely gaze, one he knew she couldn't run from.

Ginny resolutely, stubbornly held his gaze.  She was suddenly even more exhausted than she realised.  Exhausted and overwhelmed from everything that had happened.  Had it really only been 24 hours?  It seemed like a lifetime ago already that BeWITCHing Evil had played at the pub, she'd seen Harry and Malfoy had attacked them.

Emily stood up, drawing everyone's attention.  "Um, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll take the boys down to the local pub."

"I'm sorry," Hermione started to apologise.

"No, it's okay.  So much has happened, and there's a lot to process, from both sides.  I just think you guys need some privacy to do your catching up.  C'mon boys, let's go shoot some pool."  The boys got up, and saying their goodbyes, the foursome grabbed their coats and left.

"I don't think they should go anywhere," said Anne worriedly.

"They'll be fine.  If Malfoy knew where we were, he'd've attacked by now.  I think we're safe enough," replied Sirius grimly.

"Well, I think we should go too," suggested Anne.

"Oh no, please don't go on our account," pleaded Hermione.  "We're only guests and this is your home.  We should go, we can always come back tomorrow."

"It's okay Hermione," smiled Anne, "any friends of Harry's will always be welcome here.  Sirius and I will go out for a bit.  You four take your time."

And before any of them could react, Sirius and Anne had gone and the four of them were left alone.  And for a moment, there was silence.

~*~

"So that's Ginny's brother.  He seemed kind of tense don't you think?" asked Phil as the foursome walked to the Blue Angel.

"Well, he hasn't seen Ginny for almost three years.  Think of all the things that he's probably wanted to say to her and she's never given them the chance to ask what happened, to care for her.  It's certainly more complicated than just finding her again, saying hello and everything being back to normal," supplied Emily.  "I mean look at the way you reacted Fred.  I think we need to try being in her family's shoes for the last three years and not knowing anything.  It must have been hard on them; still _is_ hard on the ones who don't know where she is."

"Em, when did you get to be so wise?" asked Fred quietly.

"I've always been wise cute boy, you've just been too busy watching all the other girls in the pub to notice my higher acumen," quipped Emily looking up at Fred, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"I do not watch other gir… okay, I do, but…" Fred started to say.

"Fred, I'd quit while you're _not_ ahead," said Shane.  "Emily will just kick your arse otherwise."

The four friends chatted amiably all the way to the pub, all the while wondering what was going on at home.

~*~

"Well Ron?" asked Ginny again.

"Well what?" Ron said.

"Don't give me that.  If you've got something to say, just come out and say it," snapped Ginny getting irritable.  "You're treating me like a baby again.  Some things obviously haven't changed."

"That's not fair Gin.  You just left, without saying anything to anyone.  Why?  Do you think so little of your family that you didn't think we'd understand?"  For once, Ron wasn't going to back down from this.  He'd kept this inside for too long and he needed to offload what he was feeling.

"No, that's not it at all," Ginny had risen and was standing in front of Ron; it was all coming out in a rush.  "Do you have any idea what it was like Ron?  Do you know what it feels like to be under the Imperious Curse and not have any control over your actions?  To be released from it and to see what you've done?  To realise how weak you are, not being able to fight it?"

"Ginny…" started Harry protectively, "you're not up to this.  Ron, she's not up to this yet.  You're making her relive it all over again."

"No Harry, I need to do this.  I have to," said Ginny stubbornly.

"No you don't," said Hermione, coming into the conversation for the first time.

"What?" said Ron incredulously.

"Ron, take a good look.  Can't you see what's its done to Ginny all these years?  She may have run away, but she's carried that burden, that choice, with her every step of the way.  Ginny," Hermione moved closer to her on the couch, "I don't think you're up to this either.  It's obviously been an emotional 24 hours.  I think we all need to get a good nights rest and come back together tomorrow when we've all had a good night's sleep."

"Hermione…" began Ginny, as Hermione took her in her arms to give her a hug; she could tell that Ginny's emotions were about to get the better of her.  Hermione just gave Ron a look over Ginny's shoulder that said _"you should be doing this"._  Harry just stood off to one side quietly, not wanting to get between the siblings.

"Oh God, I've missed you all so much," whispered Ginny through her tears.  "You don't know how scared I've been.  Moving constantly from one place to the other.  I may have been in the muggle world, but I knew that Voldemort would find me if he really wanted to.  I don't think I realised it until just now, but I've been living in fear since the day I killed Neville."  Ginny let Hermione go with a smile, still holding her hand.

Ron felt as though he just gone a round with a Death Eater.  But he wasn't going to let her off that easily.  He needed to hear her say it.

"Why Ginny?  Why didn't you tell me?"  Ron's eyes filled with tears.  "I thought you could trust me, us.  Why did you just leave without saying a word?  Do you know how hard it's been for mum; hanging on every word of every letter Harry has sent us?  To wonder whether Harry was just wasting his life looking for someone who didn't want to be found.  Praying that if you were still alive, that you were okay.  Mum's got no idea what actually happened.  None of them have."  
  


"Ron," began Hermione.

"No Hermione, stay out of this."  Hermione got up from the couch and moved away to the window, looking out briefly, before turning her attention back to Ginny and Ron.  This was a brother/sister thing, and she could only support them as best she could and help put it all back together again when it was over.

"Ginny?" asked Ron patiently.  "I deserve an answer, after three years that's the least you owe your family."

His words hung in the air.  Even Ruby and Hedwig were dead quiet.  It was like they could sense that they shouldn't disturb what was going on in the lounge room.  Ginny's eyes searched for Harry.  She needed him, needed his help to explain…

"Harry?" asked Ginny tentatively.  "Please…"

"Gin, I know you need me right now, but I think you've got to figure this one out for yourself," replied Harry quietly.  It was killing him not to wrap his arms around her and comfort her, but he knew that in the long run, she'd be better off.  She had to figure out a way to verbalise this, especially to Ron.  If she could get through this, then it would be easier for her to explain to the rest of family – if he managed to convince her to come home with them for the wedding.  If he went to comfort her, he knew he'd lose his resolve.

Ginny looked at him incredulously.  He wasn't going to help her?  She couldn't believe it.  Her mind was fogging over… no, no!!!  She forced her brain to stay focussed.  She wasn't going to give in.  If Harry was going to make her do this the hard way, fine!  She tried to clear her head.  Tried to get a grip on what she should say to Ron.

"Ginny?" Ron interrupted her thoughts.  "I know I sound mad, but…" he trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

"Ginny, it's okay," said Hermione coming from the window to set next to her on the couch again, and taking her hand in her own.  "I don't agree with Harry at the moment, I don't think you're up to doing this alone," she shot Harry a dark look, "but… you are such a strong woman.  You can do this, I know you can."

Ginny took a deep breath.  "I don't know what you want me to say Ron.  I'm sorry.  I just didn't think, couldn't think straight.  I was so ashamed of what I'd done.  And the fact that Harry had seen me do it.  I just couldn't face any of you.  I mean what would think of me?  How could you not be disappointed, at the very least."

"Gin…"

"Let me finish Ron.  I know now I did the wrong thing by running away, but I think the least you could do is put yourself in my shoes for just a minute.  How would you feel if the situation were reversed and it was Hermione dead instead of Neville?  Maybe it's not my fault and I _can_ place all the blame on Voldemort, but placing the blame isn't enough.  You've got to deal with the guilt factor along with it.  And that has weighed heavily on me for a long time."  There was silence again.

"I'm not saying that you don't deserve an apology, but I've done that, and I don't know what else I can say that will make you feel better about the situation."

"I just… it hurt that you couldn't talk to me."

"Well, my last experience with this type of situation was the Chamber of Secrets.  And how did that work out Ron?"

"For Christ sake Gin that was nine years ago!" Ron exclaimed, raising his voice several octaves.  "Don't I get any credit for having grown up since then?  I've been fighting Voldemort since I was 11 years old, one way or another.  Doesn't that rate somewhere in our relationship?  I just want you to take some responsibility for the hurt you've caused your family.  Maybe Voldemort was responsible for it indirectly, but you…" he was running out of steam, out of anger.  "I missed you," he said quietly, "you're my little sister.  I felt… like a failure."

Both Harry and Hermione looked at Ron, a little surprised.  Neither of them had realised he'd felt this way.

"What?  Why on earth would you feel like that?" Ginny was confused.

"Well, you didn't trust me enough to tell me what had happened.  Harry only found out by default really.  It made me feel like…" This was hard for Ron.  Opening up like this in front of Harry and Hermione.  He wasn't used to such public emotional displays, but he figured that they'd all been through too much to worry about stuff like that now.  "… like I hadn't given you enough reasons over the years to trust me."

"Oh Ron, I…" began Ginny.  Harry took a step closer to them all.  He'd been off to one side since he'd last spoken and wondered if he'd done the right thing after all.

"No, it's okay… but you've missed out on so much.  Did you know that Percy and Penny had a baby?"  He looked into Ginny's eyes from where he stood.  "A baby boy.  They called him Leo.  He's two years old and just as cute as a button, but he doesn't even know who you are.  He's only seen pictures of his Aunt Ginny…" Ron stopped, choking up on his words.  His eyes bright and damp with tears.

Ginny was speechless.  Her emotions mirrored Ron's at that moment, not surprisingly.  "A baby?  A baby boy?"  She buried her head in her hands, sobbing.  What else had she missed out on while she'd cowardly run away?

She felt a hand on her knee.  She looked up, all teary and blotchy, to see Ron's face in front of her, looking much the same.  "I'm sorry Ginny.  I know this is hard for you, reliving all this stuff, but it's been really hard being at home, not being able to help find you – because of some stupid agreement your boyfriend made before he spilled the beans."

They looked at each other for a moment, and then Ginny flung her arms around Ron and held him tight.

~*~

"You have the uncanny ability to get me alone Anne," said Sirius walking beside her slowly.

They were walking down to the stream again, this time holding hands, each carrying a blanket to lie on.

"Well, they needed to clear the air obviously, so it seemed a good time for a walk," Anne replied looking up at Sirius, totally innocent.

"Oh, so there's no hidden agenda," Sirius remarked casually, leading Anne through the trees down to the waters edge, to a spot that was completely hidden from the house.

"None whatsoever," she smiled beguilingly up at him.

His heart skipped a beat again.  He was trying to keep a check on his emotions concerning Anne, and it just wasn't working.  After all the years in Azkaban, being alone, fighting for his survival and that of others, it was like there'd been a wall around his heart; and now someone had unblocked the dam.  It felt good, but at the same time it was terrifying.  He didn't want to admit to how he was feeling, because it scared him so.  He lay down next to Anne, close.

"What did Remus want by the way?" asked Sirius quietly, propped up on his elbow.

"Oh, just saying hello, wishing everyone well, you know, that sort of thing," replied Anne, thinking back to the letter she'd read just a short while ago.

_Dear Anne,_

_I hope this finds you well.   If my guesswork is correct, you have a house full of young ones and an old Marauder probably wondering what's hit him.  I hope everything works out for the kids.  They all deserve some closure.  I hope Ginny's okay too._

_How's Sirius?  And no ducking this question young lady! _

_I hope you've forgiven me for revealing your whereabouts, even though I'm your Secret Keeper.  And I hope you've figured out by now that the intention behind that decision was primarily for Harry's benefit.  I felt that if Sirius could locate him, that he deserved to know _both_ his godparents._

_Anne, I know you keep part of yourself hidden away from the world, with your work for the Ministry of Magic, but my gut feeling is that you should tell Sirius what you really do.  He doesn't really react too well when he discovers he's been lied to, no matter how inconsequential the information._

_Speaking of your 'job', my sources tell me that the Ministry's Dark Detectors are detecting activity in Australia; Melbourne to be precise, so I know I don't really have to ask you to remind everyone to be on their guard again._

_Also, I hope you realise the other reason for sending Sirius to you.  Apart from the fact that I don't know anyone else in Australia - I know how you feel about him.  It will never change the way you loved Trevor - don't do that to yourself.  That was real and right.  You know in your heart that's true; but at one time, so were your feelings for Sirius._

_I believe a little bit in karma, fate, Merlin, whatever.  I don't believe it's a coincidence that Harry finds you all by himself and then days later Sirius decides to follow him.  I guess I believe that it's your turn again; and Sirius's.  He needs you Anne, as much as he'll probably never admit it.  And he deserves happiness, just like you deserve another chance._

_I know I'm right.  And I know you want to hit me for it, but I can see you smiling even as you read this._

_Take care of _all _the kids; I know you'll take good care of Sirius - but please take care of yourself too._

_Always your friend_

_Remus_

"Anne, hellooooo?  Are you okay?" asked Sirius looking down at Anne lying on her back, staring up into space, not focussed on anything.

"Hmmm?  Oh yeah, sure Sirius," replied Anne wondering just how forthright she could be and also wondering what Sirius's reaction would be to what she _knew_ she needed to tell him.

"So what's wrong?  I can practically hear your brain ticking over… is it the kids?  You worried about Emily?"

"No, nothing like that.  I know they're tougher than most.  I was just thinking about the letter Remus sent."

"Oh," Sirius didn't know what to say.  He wondered what Remus was writing to Anne about?

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about.  He's fine.  Still amazingly astute - about what's happening here with the kids, even though he doesn't actually know anything.  But he did mention that there are a few things I needed to tell you."

This sounded ominous.  For a moment Sirius stopped breathing.  Were Remus and Anne…? No don't be ridiculous…

"Sirius you are just cracking me up.  What are you worried about?"

"Nothing," Sirius replied quickly, a little defensively, "who said I was worried?  So what do you have to tell me?"  He was trying to look casual and almost succeeding, but Anne could tell that his body had tensed up and he looked almost… she couldn't place the look, so she decided on a course of action instead.

Anne took his face in her hands, pulled him down and kissed him tenderly on the mouth.  She let him go, but his lips captured hers again, his tongue sliding, reaching in, tasting her; she was like a drug he couldn't get enough of.  Their tongues danced and hands roamed until she surprised him by shifting him to one side and rolling over on top of him - knees either side of his hips.

Sirius was so surprised that he offered no resistance.  He didn't have time to.  And she was so cute sitting astride him like that.  It was quite a turn on actually…

"So, Mr Tough Guy, do you want to hear what I've got to tell you, or not?" Anne teased him mercilessly by wriggling into a more comfortable position across the lower part of his hips.

"Ooooh, the woman plays dirty," grinned Sirius.  Every fibre in his body was flying and tingling.  He knew what was happening and knew he was powerless to stop it, but he wasn't ready to put a name to it just yet.  "Okay Anne, what do you have to tell me?"

"Well, my job at the local primary school is just a cover for the fact that I work for the Department of Mysteries _and_ the MLES, and no one knows about it, not even Emily," she stated matter-of-factly, waiting to see what his reaction would be, but hurrying on with, "I've wanted to tell you ever since… oh about five minutes after you arrived, but I just…" here she faltered, suddenly looking shy and hesitant, "…well you were, um, oh, just… you distracted me too much."  Anne smiled down at Sirius tremulously, her heart beating in overdrive.

"I what!?" replied Sirius incredulously, not believing a word she was saying.

"Yes, I know you find it impossible to believe, but…," Anne wondered just how forthright she should be with him - it was still so early in their 'relationship'.  They barely knew each other on one hand, and yet on the other hand they knew each other completely.  "Sirius, I know you've been to hell and back since we last saw each other, but you are still as devilishly handsome as you were when you were 19…" her voice dropped to a low seductive drawl, "…and really sexy."

At this, she slid herself down his body, so that she was lying totally on top of him, her chin resting on her hands, as they splayed across his fit and well muscled chest, and looked into his eyes.  Sirius watched and felt every move she made and just before she got completely comfortable he turned the tables on her and flipped her underneath him, covering her delicate form with his powerful body.  She wasn't going to get away.

Their eyes locked, both smiling gently at each other, revelling in the moment, until…

"So what do you do for the MLES and Department of Mysteries?  Or can't you tell me that?"  he raised his eyebrows enquiringly, Anne in his arms, his right hand wrapped around her lower back and his left hand resting lightly on her stomach.

"Well, I sort of blend the investigative side of the MLES with the creative part of the Department of Mysteries.  But Sirius, you can't tell a soul about what I do.  Not Emily, not even Harry.  Okay?"

"Hmmm.  That sounds interesting," replied Sirius bending down to nibble seductively on her earlobe.  "And why were you worried about telling me that?"

"Sirius, promise me," Anne said seriously.

"I promise."

"Okay, so why was I worried?" Sirius's lips were totally distracting Anne.  She forced her brain back on track.  "Oh yeah, well, considering that I lied to you on your arrival; and you don't exactly have a history of stable reactions in your past do you Sirius?  I mean it's been a while, but I know you better than you think I do,"  Anne replied blandly, desperately trying to ignore the sensations that were cascading through her body.

"Yes, I know you know me, that's what…" he stopped suddenly, drawing himself away from her every so slightly, catching himself in time before he gave away anything else.

"What?  Sirius?"  Anne knew what he'd been about to say, but she wanted to hear him say it.  She knew it would free him if he found the courage himself.  "Oh no, don't clam up on me now," she touched his face ever so tenderly with her fingertips, "we've come so far Sirius, don't run from me now."

Sirius swallowed nervously, trying to calm his breathing.  He knew Anne was right, but this was scarier than facing Voldemort - in more ways than one.

"I know you're scared; don't you think I am too?"  She moved out from underneath him, sitting up, forcing him to follow suit.  "Sirius, we've both had enough tragedy in our lives; don't you think we're entitled to a little bit of happiness now?"

Sirius looked at her seriously, took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking away into the darkness.  "I wish I had a map of how to do this, but I feel like I'm completely clueless…"

"And I'm sure that Remus would probably agree with you there," Anne smirked at him.

"What's Remus got to do with… oh no, he didn't.  Did he?"  Sirius's mind was whirling with chaotic thoughts.  He took in the bland look on Anne's face and realisation hit him with a jolt.  "Boy, is he in trouble when I get home."

Before Anne could respond, Ruby flew down and landed on Sirius's shoulder with a note attached to her leg.


	13. The Blue Angel

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Authors Notes:**  Thanks to everyone who reviewed… Here is the next chapter… We hope you all enjoy it… 

Over the next few days I'll be going back and reloading chapters 1 – 8 both Carolyn and I have done another round of editing, and have found a few mistakes and problems with continuity… 

Don't forget to review… and please go and read my new story, 'Wishes do come true' it is a one chaptered fic'let, that is complete… 

Rhiain

Chapter 13

**The Blue Angel**

~*~

Sirius looked up in surprise.  The last thing he'd been expecting was Ruby bringing him a letter.  He detached the letter from her leg and read it out to Anne.

_Dear Sirius and Anne,_

_Firstly, where they hell did you go?  And what are you doing?_

"It's from Ron, and trust him to ask a question that Harry never would," Sirius continued, wryly, although he didn't seem bothered by it.

_Things are fine here.  It was touch and go there for a while, but Ginny and I refrained from duelling, although I hear she beat you good and proper this afternoon.  Excellent! Wish I could have seen that!_

"Cheeky bugger!"

_Truly, things are fine between Ginny and I, and we've decided to join the others down the pub and thought you should know where we were going, but also to tell you to behave yourself, stop messing about and come and join us!_

"Well, thank goodness everything's alright," said Anne, "and that would be fun to go out and play pool.  Have you ever played before?"

"What is it?" asked Sirius by way of reply.

"You'll see.  What else does the letter say?"

And before you get the shock of your life, I think you should know that your godson and his girlfriend are not planning to stay here tonight.  Scandalous!  Totally improper behaviour if you ask me.  Come and stop them immediately!

_See you at the pub._

_Ron_

"Well, the mood has certainly lifted by the sound of it.  In fact that's about the most cheek I've ever heard from Ron, I wonder if they've been drinking as well?" mused Sirius.

"Well, you can hardly blame them for getting a little tipsy, after all the stress of this evening, or the last 24 hours can you?" replied Anne genially, smiling at Sirius.  Despite what lay ahead of them, and despite Malfoy, she felt blissfully content and happy right at this moment.

"No, but I'm a little worried about Emily, and how she's going to react to, well, you know, you and me being, um…" Sirius floundered for a moment "… involved."  He paused for a moment, looked at Anne a little panicked, and continued on, " we are, aren't we?"

Anne looked at him, and replied with a kiss.  Sirius forgot his question for a moment, and then came to his senses, the question still in his head.  "Anne?"

"Mmmm?"

"About Emily?"

"I think we should just play it by ear.  Just let it all flow, act as we choose, within reason," she added looking at him grinning at her, "and just see how the land lies.  She may already suspect, but I'm not sure.  Ron knows, courtesy of Harry's good intuition which means that Hermione and Ginny will know as well.  It'll only be a matter of time before the rest figure it out.  Are you okay with that?"

"Well, I'm not sure I want to be on the receiving end of the looks that I'm going to get from Ron and Harry.  I've done enough teasing of those two in my time, that I have a feeling it's all going to come back on me in one go."  He looked resigned to the fact.

"Sirius, you've got broad shoulders, I'm sure you'll cope in your own way," smiled Anne getting up from the blankets with Sirius, and folding them up.  "Let's go and have some fun, I think it might be the last we have for a little while, if Malfoy has anything to do with it."

They walked back up to the house wondering what the rest of the evening would bring.

~*~

As Anne and Sirius walked into the Blue Angel they couldn't help but laugh at the sight they saw.  Ron and Harry were standing at the bar with a butterbeer in their hands, staring at the girls (or to be more specific their girlfriends) who were dancing in pairs, Emily was dancing with Fred, Hermione was dancing with Shane and Ginny was dancing with Phil. 

Ron noticed that Sirius and Anne had come in walking towards them and nudged Harry, before calling out, "so where were you?"

"I really should reply with it's none of your business, but I'll be mature and say that we just went for a walk by the creek.  Why aren't you and Harry out there dancing with Hermione and Ginny?" said Sirius trying to deflect the attention away from the fact that he and Anne were publicly holding hands.

"Harry… dance?" laughed Ron, chocking on his butterbeer.

"Shut up Ron," Harry whispered dangerously.

"Okay does that mean that he can't dance or he won't?" asked Sirius with a smirk on his face.

"He can't… never has and swears he never will…" said Ron smiling.

"Someone's being a smartass," replied Sirius.  "Since when have you being able to dance Ron?" sticking up for Harry a little bit.

"I taught him," said Hermione coming up to them slightly out of breath.  "What!" she exclaimed at the surprised faces at the bar, except Anne's," I can't very well have him stepping on my toes at the wedding now can I?" she said defensively at the look of shock on Harry's face.

"No, I suppose not…" said Harry vaguely thinking of what he was going to do about dancing at the wedding.

"Come on Harry, I'll teach you" said Anne smiling at him.

"No way!  Sorry Anne, maybe another day, somewhere not so crowded… how about you and Sirius though?" said Harry smirking, wondering what their reaction would be.

Anne saw the look in Harry's eye and decided that his suggestion sounded pretty good.  "Come on then" she said taking Sirius's hand and gently dragging him to the dance floor.

Harry, Ron and Hermione laughed at the look of terror in Sirius' eyes.  Just as they reached the dance floor the song 'Love is the Answer' came on the jukebox. The Blue Angel had a mixture of muggle and wizard clientele, but the music was always muggle.  It was asking a bit much to have the WWN playing in a pub, especially one frequented by muggles.  They were surrounded by magic, subtle though it was, and yet obviously they were comfortable with the whole concept.  It wasn't the first pub in the wizarding world that had magic and 'non-magic' customers.

_Imagine you, imagine me_

_we could be happy, we could be free_

_if we would only try_

 "Typical…," Sirius muttered to himself as they got to the dance floor, putting his arm around Anne's waist gently and taking her hand in his and pulling Anne into his embrace, extremely conscious of Emily dancing nearby.

"What's that?" asked Anne.

"Nothing," muttered Sirius.  "Don't you find it a little ironic that this is a love song, given our situation?" said Sirius.

_No more hunger, no more greed_

_Do you ever wonder, can you believe?_

_this world's for us to share_

"What's wrong with love songs?" Anne whispered into Sirius's ear; a shiver went up his spine.

"Nothing," he smiled back at her, "I'm wondering what the boys are thinking that's all."

"Don't worry about them," Anne said gently, lifting her fingers to Sirius's cheek.

As they danced in small circles Sirius got his first look at Emily since they had been dancing.  Emily was staring daggers at Sirius; if looks could kill, Anne would be dancing by herself.

_'cause I hope and I pray_

_open our hearts and show us the way_

_I know love is the answer and fear serves only to bind_

_keep us all together_

_we all belong in heaven above_

They'd only been dancing a short while, when they were interrupted by Emily.

"Mind if I cut in Mum?" she looked pleasantly at the both of them, but Sirius wasn't fooled.  He was really worried.  He didn't want to upset Emily or be at odds with her, but he didn't want to lose Anne either.

"Sure honey.  But please be nice and on your best behaviour," smiled Anne cryptically, as she went and danced with Fred.

"I'm always on my best behaviour," she smiled sweetly up at Sirius, knowing he was terrified of what was coming.  She moved into the accepted couple/dancing pose and looked him right in the eye.  She was going to enjoy every second of this, and just pray that both her Mum and Sirius would see the humour when she was finished playing with him!

_No more deception, no more war_

_and peace we would treasure for evermore_

_No need to be alone_

_'cause I hope and I pray_

_open our hearts and show us the way_

"Hem, hem," Sirius coughed slightly, "this is, er, nice," said Sirius nervously, trying to prepare himself for whatever she might be about to throw his way.  Emily just smiled sweetly at him.

"Yes, it is isn't it?  Although I must say I'm troubled by your behaviour Sirius," stated Emily simply, enjoying every second of this.

"B, Behaviour?" he stammered, wondering just how worse this could possibly get.

"Yes, I mean if I was wandering off with a man for hours at a time, Mum would have a right fit if she didn't know exactly where I was."

~*~

Anne was happily dancing with Fred, getting to know him better, but all the while, her ears were peeled, listening to as much of the conversation between Emily and Sirius as she could, without letting Fred know what was going on.

That was the beauty of having a secret job; you became very adept at being able to multi-task, like listening to one conversation and talking to another person entirely, at the same time.  A very handy skill in her line of work.

~*~

"Oh, I, um, we just wanted to give you all some space," began Sirius, "you know, we didn't want you to feel like you were being watched every moment.  I mean you are old enough to take care of yourselves."

_I know love is the answer and fear serves only to bind_

_keep us all together_

_we all belong in heaven above_

Emily was  a little gobsmacked.  She was hoping to really torture Sirius until she couldn't hold the laughter in anymore, and now he'd totally floored her with a really smart answer to her accusation.  He didn't seem scared at all.  Now what was she going to do?

~*~

Anne had heard Sirius's response and was totally thrilled!  He hadn't lost his cool, even though she knew how nervous he was, he'd acted like an adult.  Would wonders never cease?  She didn't think he had it in him, but there you go!  Some men do grow up after all.

~*~

"Well, be that as it may, but I hope your intentions are honourable mister," began Emily, working up to her final and, as it turned out, only verbal lashing of Sirius, "but let me tell you something.  If you think you've even got half a chance with my Mum, then you've got another thing coming.  You lay one hand on her and you will rue the day you ever came to Australia," finished Emily, triumphant that she'd got him at last.

_Heaven above,_

_Heaven above,_

_I know love is the answer_

_And fear serves only to bind_

_I know love is the answer_

_And fear serves only to bind_

Sirius looked as though someone had punched him in the stomach.  He was totally speechless.  He stopped dancing, and his arms dropped to his sides, his gut wrenching; he knew it wasn't going to work.  He just looked numbly at Emily, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips.  And he'd just realised in a flash how much Anne had come to mean to him in such a short time.

Anne danced Fred over to them, looked at the body language and intervened.  She knew Sirius would only stand for this a minute more and then he'd be out of there; she didn't want that and she knew that Emily was kidding.  But sometimes Emily didn't know when to stop when she was having fun like this.

"Emily, come on now, I thought you were going to be nice about this?" asked Anne innocently.  She looked at Sirius, looked at Emily, who was doing her level best not to laugh.

Sirius couldn't speak.  He'd known this would happen; he knew Emily wouldn't be okay with what was happening between him and Anne.

_I know love is the answer and fear serves only to bind_

_keep us all together_

_ [heaven above]_

"Mum, I…," began Emily.  She couldn't hold it in any longer.  Her pretty face broke into a smile and a second later she and Anne were laughing; the former almost bent over double at the look on Sirius's face.  Sirius just stood there, not really comprehending what was going on.  He looked from Anne to Emily, a hurt expression on his face, eyebrows raised.__

"Sirius, I'm kidding," said Emily, finally catching her breath to speak again.

"What?" asked Sirius.  His heart was beating so hard against his ribcage, he was surprised the whole pub couldn't hear it.

"I'm kidding," repeated Emily.  "I can see how you and Mum feel about each other and I just thought I'd have a little fun with you."

"A little fun?"

"Yeah.  I'm sorry.  Mum didn't set you up by the way, I just figured it out.  I'm pretty astute that way," she finished off, holding her arms out to him to dance again.

_I know love is the answer and fear serves only to bind_

_keep us all together_

_[heaven above]_

Sirius's mind was quickly catching up.  He took in Emily's sincereness; Anne and Fred were still dancing.  He should have known.  He could tell by the look on Anne's face that everything really _was_ okay.  She nodded to him.  But he also noticed Fred looking at Emily adoringly.  That was new!  Without dwelling on the situation, he took a chance…

"Well, I don't know about that," said Sirius calmly, now perfectly at ease.  They were dancing again.  "Haven't you figured out yet how Fred feels about you?"

"What?  What has Fred got to do with this?" Emily responded a little defensively.

"Well, I know it's been a while since I dated anyone, but I'm not blind either.  It's obvious he totally adores you."  Sirius just let his comment sink in for a moment, and then steered her around the dance floor so that she could see him more clearly.  He was chatting to Anne now, but every now and then his glance slid over to Emily.  Sirius knew he was right.

"I don't…," stammered Emily, realising that the shoe was on the other foot now, and that Sirius had the advantage.  Damn!  How the hell had that happened?

[heaven above] 

"You know, you would make a really cute couple.  And your Mum seems to like him," noted Sirius mock seriously.  Now he had the upper hand, it was better.  He felt back in control again.  "Do you like him?"

There was silence, as the music changed into a more up-tempo beat.  Emily was still looking at Fred, like she was seeing him for the first time; and yet realising that she'd known about this all along, there just hadn't been time to really take it all in.  

Sirius was standing there quietly, watching her.  She looked almost lost, like she didn't know what to believe, who to believe.  Slowly, very slowly, a smile crossed her face.

"Yes I do, actually.  Where did that come from?" she mused quietly, almost to herself.

"I don't know," said Sirius, "but why don't you go and dance with him again," he said winking.

"You just want to dance with mum… don't you?" said Emily in a weak attempt to tease him.

"Ahhh, you read my mind," said Sirius putting a hand on his heart whilst trying to sound wounded.  "Go on!  Go dance with him!" he said walking over to Anne.

"May I cut in?" asked Sirius winking at Fred.

"Of course, but only if I can steal this lovely young lady away from you," said Fred winking back.

~*~

_At a table in the corner of the pub…_

Harry wasn't focussing on anything except Ginny.  She hadn't spoken to him since they'd left Anne's place.

"I wonder what's going on over there?" asked Ron interrupting Harry's thoughts and pointing over to the dance floor, directing his attention away from Ginny.

"I don't know, but Sirius looks worried," laughed Harry.

"I'm going to get something to drink.  Do you girls want something?" Ron asked Ginny and Hermione.

"Just a butterbeer please Ron," said Ginny.  "You wouldn't believe how much I've missed it," she said quietly to Hermione.

"And I'll have a Champagne cocktail," said Hermione smiling at Ginny's last comment.

"Come on Harry, come and help me," said Ron.  He could sense the hostility from Ginny to Harry, even if he had now idea why it had arisen.  They just needed to talk it out, but that could be hard when Ginny was being stubborn.  Fighting with Ginny was sometimes like being put through a wringer.  He just hoped that Harry would approach the subject tonight, and not let whatever it was fester.

As the boys went to get the drinks, Hermione took the chance to talk to Ginny about the wedding.

"Gin?" Hermione began hesitantly. "I wanted to ask you something about the wedding, but if you're not up to it tonight, just say so," she said quickly.

"No, I'm fine.  What's up?" asked Ginny.

"I… I was wondering…" started Hermione, hesitating.

"Go on..." said Ginny.

"I was wondering if you still wanted to be my maid of honour?" she asked.

"Oh my God, are you kidding?  I can't believe you still want me after all that's happened.  Of course, I would love to be your maid of honour," said Ginny as she threw her arms around Hermione.  "I didn't want to presume too much.  I thought you might have organised someone else by now," confessed Ginny.

"What!  Of course not," said Hermione holding Ginny at arms length.  "Why would I do that.  I had complete faith that Harry would find you in time.  I just didn't want to pressure you; it means coming home, having to face your family, and I know that's not going to be easy; you have to be ready to face everyone."

"I know it's going to be hard, but I've got you, Ron and Harry there to support me.  Not to mention Anne and Emily," said Ginny as tears welled up in her eyes.  "I hope you don't mind, but I think Harry invited Anne and Emily to the wedding."

"Oh, that's fine.  If you want the boys can come as well.  Anything to make it easier for you," said Hermione as Harry and Ron returned.

"Here you are, Butterbeer and Champagne," said Ron handing over the drinks.

"Thanks Ron," the girls replied together.

"How about we go dance Ron?" said Hermione.  "You can show Harry your moves!!" she said smiling at Harry as they walked off towards the dance floor.

"Gin?" said Harry cautiously.

Ginny got up from her chair and walked towards Sirius and Anne on the dance floor.  He watched as she cut in and danced with Sirius.  He sighed to himself, counted to ten and tried not to over-react.  He would talk to her later.  He was surprised that she'd even let him organise a room here.  But space wise, it was practical if nothing else.  He wished, not for the first time, that he could read minds.

"A knut for your thoughts?" said Anne slipping on to the stool next to Harry.

"I'm just thinking about Ginny," he said simply.  "She hasn't spoken to me since we left the house," he said after Anne shot him a quizzical look.

"Give her time, it's been a big few days," said Anne.  "I'm proud of you, you know, for the way you've handled this situation."

"Thanks Anne, that means a lot to me," replied Harry.  "Although I'm a little curious about what's happening between you and Sirius."

"We're taking it slowly.  It's been a long time since either of us have had someone to lean on, to care about," said Anne, glancing over to Sirius.

"I'm glad.  You're good for him.  I couldn't think of anything better, my godfather and godmother together.  Its perfect," he said.

"Thanks Harry," replied Anne.  "Well, it's getting late.  I should get this lot home to bed," she said.  She stood up and looked at him carefully.  The years had taken their toll on him too; it was showing.  "Take it easy with Ginny, Harry.  She's had lot to process in the last 24 hours and so have you.  We'll see you in the morning, but take your time." 

Harry watched as the unusual gang of muggles and wizards came off the dance floor, looking happy, but very tired.

Anne shuffled everyone gently out the door, her arm entwined with Sirius's, leaving Ginny and Harry to collect their room key from the barkeeper and make their way silently up the back stairs to their room.

~*~

Harry opened the door and stood back to let Ginny past him into the room.  She did so quietly and went straight to her bag, which the owner had brought up earlier that evening.

Harry was worried.  He thought things were getting back to normal between the two of them, even after a day, and yet she hadn't spoken a single word to him since she'd made up with Ron back at Anne's place.

And, like everything relationship related, he wasn't sure what he'd done this time.  I mean surely she understood why he'd supported Ron during their 'altercation'?  That was obvious wasn't it?  Or was it?  He should know by now after all these years, he thought to himself crossing the room to his bag as he watched Ginny go into the bathroom.

Even before Ginny had run away, he'd known that she could be very stubborn when she wanted.  She wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in and she certainly wasn't afraid of having a fight if there was a point to be made.

He sat on the bed, waiting patiently for her to come out of the bathroom.

She emerged about half an hour later, fresh from a shower, in her nightie and dressing gown.  She didn't look at him, but crossed the room away from him to put her clothes away in her bag.

Well Harry wasn't going to run away from this.  He loved her and nothing was going to get in the way of that, no matter what he'd done wrong.

"Ginny?"

She stopped what she was doing, and turned to face him, her face impassive, unreadable.

"Ginny, what have I done?  You haven't spoken a word to me since we left Anne's place.  What's going on?"  Harry looked at her imploringly.

"If you don't know then I'm not telling you," she replied stubbornly, crossing her arms defiantly.

Harry wasn't going to take this much longer, he didn't have time to play mind games with her.  He had never been good at it.  "Don't give me that crap Ginny.  I'm not going to stand here and try and figure it out just so that you can watch me squirm.  Are you mad at me about what happened at Anne's?"

"Congratulations Harry, you got it in one."

Harry gritted his teeth.  She could be so damn frustrating, and yet her proud stubbornness was one of the things he loved about her.

"I'm sorry I didn't defend you Ginny.  I know you needed me, and I wanted to…"

"So why didn't you Harry?  Are you punishing me for running away?  Is that it?"  Ginny was hurt and angry, feeling emotional, unreasonable and the only person she could take anything out on at the moment was Harry.

"What?!  Are you nuts?  How could you accuse me of something like that?  That's not me Gin and you know it!  Where is this coming from?"  Harry was exasperated.  He couldn't figure this out.  Maybe this had all been too much for her, he thought as he ran his hands through his hair, making it more messy than usual.

Ginny slumped down on the chair near the dresser.  She was so tired she could hardly think straight anymore, but if she didn't explain this right, everything would unravel and she just couldn't bear to be without him ever again.

"I just… God Harry, even after only being back together again for 24 hours, I feel as though we are closer then we've ever been.  It was like we'd never been apart."  Even from across the room, her eyes bore into his, not wavering for a second.  He sat quietly, not shifting his gaze from hers, listening.

"I guess the timing isn't really fair, me having run away and all…"

"Ginny stop it!.  Stop blaming yourself for that.  It's done.  We can't go back and change the past.  I found you and you're safe.  That's all that really matters.  Everything else we have is a gift."  Harry went quiet again, waiting for her to respond.

"I do realise that on some level, but… no, I don't want to get sidetracked Harry.  I'm hurt and angry because the one thing a couple who are this committed to each other should do, is back each other's play when in public.  I shouldn't have even had to ask for your support.  It should have been automatic.  I know that's a big ask after all that's happened, but I just felt as though we'd reached an understanding last night… it may have been unspoken, but it was still there. I felt it.  And I guess that it was the first time it had been tested, and I know it's unreasonable given that we've never had an actual conversation about where things stand between us, but I still felt as though you were betraying me tonight."

Harry was dumbfounded.  He knew what she was talking about, and he knew it to be true.  They _had_ made a silent commitment to each other the night before, when he put the necklace on her again; one for life, even if they hadn't spoken it out loud.  He didn't know what to say about the rest of it though.  She was right, in a way, but he needed to explain himself too.

"Harry, I know this isn't fair of me.  I mean you tried to stop Ron from going any further and so did Hermione, but I was determined to figure out what was going on in his head.  I just couldn't figure out why he was so angry.  I…"

Harry interrupted her.  "Ginny, I thought you understood why I did that.  I mean… you're right.  I should have supported you no matter what, but I just thought that if you could get through all this stuff with Ron, then you would be able to handle it with the rest of your family… one day," he added, "when you're ready.  I thought it was the best thing for you at the time; I'm sorry I let you do it alone."

"It's not totally your fault Harry.  I was pushing it too soon; it just got… overwhelming.  I don't know.  I'm probably not making much sense.  I think I just need to go to sleep.  My brain is racing at a million miles an hour at the moment."

Harry watched as she took off her dressing gown and got into bed.  He got in beside her, took his glasses off and gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek and settled himself down to sleep, one arm wrapped around her lightly.  As Harry drifted off to sleep, he felt calm and at peace at last.

~*~

A few minutes later Ginny was still wide awake.  Realising that she wasn't going to nod off in a hurry, she stole a look at Harry who was sound asleep, and slid out of bed so as not to wake him, put on her dressing gown, crept over to the dresser, pulled some parchment and a quill out of the drawer [thank goodness for a hotel that had complimentary guest supplies], and began to write.

Ginny didn't put her pen down for four hours.  It was finished.  She was amazed at where the inspiration had come from.  It must have been the intensity of what was happening at the moment that was driving her.  She'd never been able to do this before; write a song and the music in such a short time.  She was very proud of herself.

She climbed into bed beside Harry, feeling exhausted but peaceful.  Everything was right in her world.  Writing the song had been cleansing and healing, but she couldn't wait to share it with the band.  It was a song about her life; about how she had been feeling for the past three years.  She'd never even considered putting it into words, because it was too painful.  But the moment she'd laid down on the bed, it was like a music box had been turned on in her head and she knew she couldn't ignore it and she hadn't.

She looked at bedside clock.  It was reading 04.48.  She was totally shattered, and fell asleep almost the instant her head hit the pillow.

Unconsciously in his sleep, Harry turned towards Ginny and cuddled her from behind.  It was the way they were meant to be.

~*~

As much as it totally abhorred Draco to enter the muggle establishment again, if you could call it that, he thought to himself, he knew it was the only way to determine what had happened since his brilliant manoeuvre on Friday night.

He had dressed muggle-style to fit in with the regular patronage and was lolling arrogantly at the end of bar where it was reasonably dark, so he could watch the comings and goings through the front entrance.  It was a risk being here, but at least he could disapparate as a last resort.

It wasn't as busy tonight, which he found a little strange.  It was the weekend and according to muggle tradition, this was the night when the muggles went out and partied the most.  He was cursing Harry Potter under his breath when a young, solid, sandy-blonde haired man came up beside him.

"Hiya Joe, can I have a VB please?" asked the stranger.

"Sure thing, coming right up," replied Joe moving expertly around the bar, grabbing a glass and putting it under the tap marked VB, filling it and placing it on the bar.  The stranger gave Joe some money and Joe smiled and went right on to the next customer further down the bar.

"Come here often?" asked the stranger to Draco.

"Uh, no.  I'm new in town and came by last night for the first time."  It was killing Draco to be this polite, but he had to play along.  This was a game and one he intended to win.

"New huh?  You're obviously from England judging by the accent.  Are you here on holidays?" asked the young man, making polite conversation.

"Actually I'm here on business, family business," replied Draco, bored already with this muggle and wondering the most polite way to get rid of him.

"Well, after a day of business this is certainly the place to come and relax," said the stranger casually.

"Hmmm, there was a band playing here last night, will they be back?" asked Draco.

"No, not tonight.  They'll play again Sunday night, around 7.00pm," responded the young man.

"Oh good.  I was looking forward to hearing them again," lied Draco, hoping he was still sounding pleasant and friendly.  Good grief this was excruciating!

The stranger swallowed down the last of drink before replying.  "Yeah, the band are pretty cool.  I know all of them too.  Nice group of friends."

"You're a friend?" asked Draco cautiously.

"Yep," replied the stranger.

"What's your name?"

"Adam, and yours is?"

Draco thought furiously, and a false name popped into his head.  "John Smythe," he said putting out his hand to take Adam's in a firm grip.


	14. The Note under the bedroom door

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Authors Notes:**  Thanks to everyone who reviewed… Here is the next chapter… We hope you all enjoy it… 

Over the next few days I'll be going back and reloading chapters 1 – 8 both Carolyn and I have done another round of editing, and have found a few mistakes and problems with continuity… 

Don't forget to review… and please go and read my new story, 'Wishes do come true' it is a one chaptered fic'let, that is complete… 

Rhiain

Chapter 14

**The Note under the Bedroom Door**

~*~

The morning sunlight filtered through the open window, a gentle breeze moving the curtains through the air; sunlight fell on Harry's face.  He opened his eyes slowly and blinked several times.  It was bright, too bright.  As his eyes adjusted to the change in light he looked down to see Ginny laying on her side with her arm flung possessively over his chest.  He glanced at the bedside clock which read 09.30.  He slowly moved away from Ginny praying that he wouldn't wake her.

She shifted slightly, murmured something and went back to sleep.  Harry let out the breath he'd been holding in and slid out of bed.  It was a Weasley trait to talk and mumble in their sleep.  Picking up his glasses next to the clock, he moved quietly into the bathroom, taking care to close the door quietly.

He showered quickly and then, standing with a towel around his waist, he tried to tame his unruly hair in front of the bathroom mirror.  He was muttering exasperatedly about his hair, when the mirror spoke up.

"Dear boy, you are fighting a losing battle.  Short of shaving your head, you'll never quite tame it."

"That's not exactly what I was wanting to hear you know," replied Harry a little sardonically.

_"What does it matter?"_ the mirror replied. _"She will love you no matter what."_

Harry's eyes widened in surprise.  He'd never received unsolicited commentary about his love life from a magical mirror before.

"Thanks, and now I'm going to go get breakfast organised," he replied to the mirror.

_"Try and find a little posy of flowers to put on the tray," _suggested the mirror.

Harry smiled and left the bathroom.  He quietly made his way through the bedroom, opened the door quietly, checked once more that Ginny was still sleeping and moved out into the hallway.

Ten minutes later he was back up in their room.  He'd organised breakfast to be sent up in half an hour, had gone outside to pick some wild flowers [he knew she loved them] and had left them with the manager on duty downstairs with instructions.

He crept back into the room just in time to see Ginny roll over towards the door and settle herself on her stomach.  Her eyelids crept open; she was obviously struggling to wake up.  Harry crossed to the bed and sat down next to her.

"Come on sleepyhead, it's morning," whispered Harry.  He kissed her gently on the back of the neck, hoping that would wake her up a little.

"Mmmm, no, go 'way," mumbled Ginny.  "Really tired."

"How come you're still tired?  I thought you would have been well rested after a good nights' sleep." replied Harry smiling.

"Didn't get to sleep until really late," mumbled Ginny as she turned over onto her back, her eyes squinting in the bright light of mid morning.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.  "We went to bed at the same time… didn't we?" he asked her, a little worried.

"Yes my love, we did, but whereas you fell blissfully into a deep slumber, my brain was still buzzing.  I couldn't sleep, so after a few minutes I got up and…"  Ginny faltered here.

"What?  Ginny what?  Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's great.  It's nothing really.  I wrote a song last night," Ginny began sheepishly, looking embarrassed.

"Wow…" replied Harry, not really knowing what to say.  "But that's good… isn't it?"

"Yeah, it was amazing.  It's never happened like that before, but the words, the music, it was all in my head and I just couldn't sleep, so I got up and wrote it."  Ginny sat up and looked into Harry eyes.

"I thought you were tired?" Harry replied softly, taking her hand in his and caressing it gently.  "You look exhausted," he finished gently, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Thanks a lot!" Ginny exclaimed, pretending to be offended.  She knew she looked awful.  She certainly didn't need a mirror to tell her that.

"Exhausted, but beautiful," he said gently, leaning forward to drop a kiss on the tip of her freckled nose.  Ginny just rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," she smiled at him beguilingly.

"No, really, you look gorgeous.  I can't believe I didn't wake up though.  How long were you up?  What time did you come to bed?"

"About ten to five this morning," said Ginny, before yawning and stretching, trying to wake up.

"Ginny," murmured Harry, "you need rest, not all night writing sessions."

"I know Harry, but with everything that's happened since Friday night, my brain's kind of on overload I suppose."  She looked at him wistfully for just a moment, then her eyelashes fluttered down to her cheeks for a moment, before flicking back up to him.

Harry was content with this explanation, but still curious about the song she'd written.  He waited patiently; he could see she wanted to say something.

"I just… it… it was a song about the last three years, about how I was/am feeling.  That's all," said Ginny quietly after a moment.

"Will you sing it for me?" asked Harry just as quietly, lacing his fingers through her tiny ones.

"I don't think so," Ginny replied shyly.  "I don't even know how it's going to sound.  I've got to get together with the band and have a jam session to nut out the specifics yet."

Harry was disappointed, but he understood how protective she was about her music.  He felt that way about his Firebolt and professional Quidditch moves he figured out for himself.

"Okay then, well how about you get up, shower, get dressed and we have breakfast.  It should be here in about 20 minutes," suggested Harry.

"I have a better idea.  How about you kiss me senseless and come back to bed," whispered Ginny seductively, as she leaned closer to Harry.  She snuck her arms up his chest and around his neck before kissing him deeply.  Harry wrapped his arms around her and climbed back into bed, put his glasses on the bedside table, his lips never leaving hers, even for a moment.

~*~

Adam woke up slowly.  Even before he was fully awake he recognised that he had a blinding headache.  Too much VB the night before obviously.  He took in his surroundings as he lowered his feet gently to the floor.

It was a ramshackle place.  Falling apart and, he'd discovered last night, it was Unplottable, which was exactly what they needed.  They being Draco and himself.  They'd ended up leaving the pub around midnight and apparating near to Draco's place.

It had been a wild night in some ways.

Of all the people on the whole planet that Adam could have run into, he would never in a million years have guessed it to be another wizard - not in his neck of the woods anyway.

Adam's background was like a train wreck.  His uni friends knew the truth, it was just a different version of the _actual_ truth.  As far as his friends knew, Adam's mother had died when he was about four years old.  His father had brought him up, but had been a tough father figure.  There hadn't been a lot of love and comfort from his father growing up.  Adam had had to be a survivor from a very young age.  He was rough around the edges, but he didn't allow anyone to discover what was underneath.  Most people, magic or otherwise, couldn't conceive of what lay beneath the bland exterior.

Adam hadn't any _real_ friends at all.  Just people he hanged with for a while.

Now the difference between what his uni friends knew and what the actual truth was, was only a fraction different.  But the difference was enormous if you knew the truth.  He was a wizard.  A secret that no one else alive in his world knew about, but him.  And now Draco.

He laughed to himself.  _John Smythe._  What a name!  Thank Christ it wasn't his real name.  Draco.  It was obviously destiny that they should meet, if you believed in that sort of crap; the two of them, of all the people to meet up with each other, it was a billion to one chance.  And yet they had.  Interesting…

For what purpose?  Well, that was what today would reveal.  He was pretty smug that he could trace his Dark heritage back as far back as he could.  However, Draco had the right upbringing and the two of them were like peas in a pod.  Perfectly suited.

And the timing was perfect!  Everything was falling into place, and Draco didn't even know the whole story yet!

~*~

She felt like she was being devoured.  And the sensation was scaring her.  Her brain was spiralling into a dark place and although she tried, she wasn't strong enough to stop it!

Ginny's breath quickened as Harry trailed his lips down her neck and across her shoulders, slipping the strap of her nightdress off her shoulder so he didn't lose contact with her skin.

Ginny tried to stop the flow of images from crashing through her brain, but she couldn't.  No!  No!  Not again!  She suddenly pushed Harry away and leapt out of bed, her breath coming in quick gasps.

"Ginny?" asked Harry.  "What's wrong?"

Ginny couldn't talk.

"Ginny, talk to me.  What's wrong?"  Harry felt strange.  What was going on?  Just as he thought things were okay, the world seemed to flip on him again.  He scrutinised Ginny closely.  Her eyes were glazed, she was staring at him; she was shaking like a leaf.  She was scared… of him?  Before his brain could even process the reasons behind what was happening, he shoved those thoughts out of the way and just concentrated on Ginny.  Thank goodness for his Auror training.  The ability to compartmentalise information was one he had honed to a fine art.  And he needed it now.

"Ginny.  I'm not going to hurt you."  He spoke quietly, gently, not moving from where he sat on the bed.  Any movement could startle her into running; she looked poised for flight.

"Ginny.  It's okay.  You're safe.  You're not in any danger."

From where she stood Ginny heard Harry's voice.  She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, hoping to wipe the images from her mind.  But Harry's voice was seeping into her brain like a fog creeping along the waterfront in London.  What was he saying?  She concentrated with all of her might; took a deep, steadying breath.  She was cold and shaking all over.  She opened her eyes slowly, a tear creeping out from under her eyelashes.

Harry watched her quietly.  To an observer, he looked amazingly calm.  In actual fact he was anything but; he was freaking out.  Ginny was exhibiting all the signs of someone who had suffered from some sort of captivity and inflicted pain.  All that came to mind was her time with Tom Riddle, but that had been so many years ago, and she told him yesterday that she hadn't had that nightmare for a long time now.  So what was causing this reaction now?  He was about to speak up again, when there was a sharp knock at the door.

Ginny jumped and turned to the door, looking terrified.

Harry moved quickly from the bed and put his arms around her from behind so that he could stop her from doing anything rash.  "It's okay Ginny.  It's probably just the breakfast I ordered."

Ginny bit her lower lip and turned slowly in his embrace.  She was all stiff and rigid, but Harry just held her; murmured softly into her hair and gently kissed her forehead.

"It's okay.  I've got you.  You're safe.  Nothing's happened."  Harry kept comforting Ginny until he felt her relax in his arms.  She felt like a dead weight.  "Ginny?"  Harry shifted Ginny in his arms so he could see her face.  She was unconscious.  He carried her over to the bed and laid her on it gently.

He looked at the door and noticed that a note had been slipped under the door.  He crossed the room quickly and picked it up, all the while keeping his eyes on Ginny.

The note was from Ron.

_Dear Harry & my innocent baby sister,_

Harry smiled to himself.  He knew Ron was still grappling with the fact that Ginny was all grown up.  He'd been a bit like that even before she had disappeared.

The boys and Emily were up early and have packed up and headed back home to Melbourne.  Apparently there's a gig tonight and they're playing, so they'll meet you at the pub just before 7pm.

That was news to Harry, not that it mattered.  Ginny would have had to go back for school on Monday anyway.

_And they asked me to send you this note,_ _so as to remind Ginny that there was a gig on, just in case she forgot, what with all the sudden guest appearances by the four of us in her life after three years absence._

_And just in case you haven't eaten yet, we've got so much left over from breakfast, that Anne says you are more than welcome to come and share it with us.  But Anne also says that if you want a  _**private**_breakfast, she understands and we'll see you for lunch instead._

_Sirius also adds, that hopefully by then, you'll be out of bed!_

_Obviously Hermione is aghast at this honest repertoire of conversation, but we're just enjoying teasing the hell out of you from a distance, because Sirius really doesn't want to duel with Ginny any time soon!_

_See you at lunch,_

Ron

Harry allowed himself a grin.  Looked like Ron was finally coming to terms with a grown up Ginny.  And he almost laughed at Hermione's reaction.

Although there certainly wasn't anything to write home about at this point.  He crossed to the bed, pulled his wand and said "Enervate" to wake her.  Ginny slowly opened her eyes, looking disoriented.

Harry gently pushed her hair out of her eyes, and cupped her face with his hand.  "Hi there.  Are you okay?"

Ginny didn't respond.  She just looked at Harry and then tears crept out and down her cheeks.

"Ginny.  It's okay.  Whatever's going on… it's okay.  You're safe now."  Harry was starting to panic, even if it wasn't noticeable.

Ginny swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, and looked away.  She couldn't look at him.  She was so ashamed.  How could she tell him?  How could she tell anyone?  She couldn't.  Ginny started to sob; she turned away from Harry, not wanting him to see what was she feeling.  Not wanting him to guess at what was wrong.  She knew the training he'd had as an Auror; he would be imagining all sorts of scenarios to match up with her behaviour.  But she… couldn't bear the look on his face once he knew.  But another emotion rose that was just as powerful as her fear.  Love.  She didn't want to lose him again.

"Ginny, please look at me," Harry asked urgently.  Now he was panicking.  What the hell was going on?  What had happened to make her react this way?

Ginny turned back to Harry.  She was gulping, crying and shaking all over.  She lifted a hand to him in a silent plea; Harry caught it and pulled her into his embrace.  He held her while she cried and cried her heart out.  He had no idea what could be wrong, but as long as she wasn't running away, that was all that mattered.  Whatever it was – they could work it out together.  Whatever it was.

Harry held her like that for ages.  There was a knock on the door, and Harry heard a tray being left of the floor outside their room.  Their breakfast.  He left it there.  That could wait.  Ginny cried; she clung to him as if she was drowning.  It was heartbreaking and Harry couldn't help himself.  There were tears in his eyes as he held Ginny close.  He hated to think of her being this upset and in this much pain over something that had happened to her.

It was over an hour later when Ginny's sobs finally quietened down and he felt her breath slowly regulate and slow down; she'd stopped shaking and was curled up in a ball on his lap.  Harry just kept whispering comforting words to her the whole time – even when he was crying.  He wanted her to know that he would always be there for her.  No matter what.

Ginny relaxed her grip on him and pulled away, sitting up straight.

"I'm sorry…," began Ginny.

"Don't be.  What's wrong?  Please tell me Ginny.  I've never seen you like this.  Not even about Tom Riddle," Harry replied quietly, his tone gentle and soothing.

Ginny looked at him, so grateful that he was as wonderful as she remembered.  "I must look a fright.  Major crying combined with no sleep.  I think I need a Glamour spell, don't you?" she quipped, trying to smile.

"Well, you do look pale, but otherwise, don't think twice about it."  Harry paused for a moment.  She was avoiding the question, but he didn't want to frighten her away.

"I know you want to know what's going on Harry," began Ginny.  She could tell what he was thinking, and knew that the only scenario that would work, would be the one where she told him the truth.  She'd thought about this plenty during the last seven months and it didn't play out well, no matter how she did it; she just knew that the only way for them to be together – ever – was if she told him the truth now.

"Whatever it is, we can handle it together.  Okay?"  Harry hugged her tightly.  "We're stronger together aren't we?" he said letting her go again.

"Yes.  We are.  But…," Ginny paused, not knowing quite how to phrase it, "you might not be able to handle it."  She hurried on, seeing the look on Harry's face.  "I know you've handled a lot in your life, but nothing like this."

Harry was growing more concerned by the second.  What could she…

"I was raped."

The words hung in the silent room.  There was no noise.  Only the birds in the trees outside.

Ginny moved off Harry's lap and away from him.  She needed physical space if she was going to get through this.  She watched Harry as he realised what it was she'd just said.

"You were…" he couldn't finish.

"Raped.  Seven months ago, in the States."

Harry sat frozen, trying to make sense of what Ginny had just said – trying to comprehend the enormity of it.  The awfulness of what had happened to her.  Harry shut his eyes tight, wanting to be strong for her – wanting to kill the guy that had done this to her.

Ginny watched as Harry's eyes filled with tears.  Her heart swelled to see it.  Maybe she wasn't going to lose him after all.  But she needed to tell him what had happened.  There was more and he needed to hear all of it; or they'd never have a life together.  And she wanted that more than anything.

Harry moved to reach out for Ginny, but he stopped himself.  That was why she'd frozen before.  She probably didn't want him to touch her again.  His brain was racing… he had to know.  "What happened?"

~*~

'Where they hell are they?" exclaimed Ron.

"Ron, language please!" said Hermione, a little horrified.  They were guest's after all.

"I'm sure they're just taking the opportunity to be alone Ron," supplied Anne gently.  She could see that he was a bit agitated and she understood it.  She was his little sister.

"Ron, what's wrong?" asked Sirius.  He was loving this.

"She's just a…"

"Baby, yep she's a whole year younger than you Ron!" shot back Hermione.  She knew what was going through his head.  "Did you really think that they would just hold hands forever and ever?  Please!"

"Hermione!  Don't say stuff like that!"  Ron was being irrational and he knew it, but a part of him was being all protective of her, and yet who was he protecting her from?  Harry?  He knew Harry loved Ginny and that Ginny had loved him in return; in fact ever since she was eleven.  He took a deep breath.

"Ron," Hermione spoke gently, moving to sit beside him in the kitchen, "how weird do you think it was for Harry when we first got together?  Don't you think he probably had mental images of you and I that he just couldn't bear to think about?  His best friends sleeping together, and all that."

"Hermione, you're being logical and I don't want to be logical about this!" Ron replied quietly.

"I know, but you're being irrational.  I know you're happy for them and I know you know that this is what Ginny's wanted for a long time now.  Don't spoil it by being all "big brother" about it."

Ron turned to Hermione.  He could see Sirius and Anne behind her, trying not to laugh.  He sighed and kissed her gently on the lips.  "I know.  I just… it's hard to believe that she's so grown up, you know?  A boyfriend, sex… urghh, I just can't go there."

"And she doesn't want you to, Ron," said Sirius grinning at him.  "You'll get used to it.  Don't worry about it.  You know how Harry feels about her.  You know he'll protect her with his own life.  What more could you want from a future brother-in-law?  You haven't seen them together for three years, but for them, their relationship never stopped. They've picked up, literally, where they left off."

"What do you mean future brother-in-law?"  Ron said quickly.

"Nothing, but come on Ron, don't you think they'll be together forever?" said Anne intervening gently.

"Yeah, I guess.  I'll be fine."

Hermione flung her arms around his neck, hugging him close.  "You're a wonderful man Ron Weasley," she whispered into his ear.  "Did I ever tell you that?"

"Yeah, but not for a while, so don't let me stop you," replied Ron, the tips of his ears going pink as she let him go.

"So shall we start getting lunch organised?" suggested Hermione brightly.  "Can we do something really special though.  Anne, is that okay?"

"Absolutely, come and help me pick what herbs we need from the garden."

~*~

Ginny got comfortable on the bed and took a deep breath.  Harry crossed his legs, bringing his fingertips together and resting his elbows on his knees.

"I was on my way home from work.  I was working at a pub at the time; it was just after midnight.  I knew the area really well and always kept to the lighted areas.  As safe as I thought I was, I never really felt safe, you know?  I may not have used magic in three years, well not… anyway… but I was always on the lookout for anything unusual.  I really did fear Voldemort finding me, somehow.  So I always carried my wand with me, just in case."  Ginny paused, waiting for Harry to speak.

"So why didn't you use your wand and escape?"  His brain was trying to figure this out in advance, and it just didn't track.

"He grabbed me from behind.  I don't think he knew I had a wand.  He probably wouldn't have known what it was anyway.  He covered my mouth with one hand and immobilised me with the other.  I couldn't get to it."  Ginny closed her eyes.

Harry watched her carefully, his guts wrenching as he watched the struggle of emotions play across her pale, tired face.  He wanted to make this easier for her, but he knew, deep down, that he couldn't.  There were so many questions, but he needed to let her talk first.

Ginny was looking down at her hands.  They were clasped together tightly.  Not moving.  Which was unusual.  Normally when Ginny was nervous or upset, they never stopped moving, but not this time.

"Is this why you stopped having nightmares about Tom?" asked Harry quietly, when Ginny didn't continue.

"Yes," whispered Ginny, nodding her head.

Harry waited for her to continue.

"He dragged me, kicking and fighting him the whole way mind you, to this abandoned building.  I didn't recognise it, but then again, I pretty much trod the same path on my way home each night.  Probably why he picked me.  Apparently there's nothing random about how a rapist chooses his victim.  There's always a pathology at work.  At least that's what I discovered later."

Ginny was talking automatically now; as if reciting an essay she'd written on the subject.  She sounded detached and distant.  Her eyes unfocussed and staring into space.  Harry cringed inwardly to hear the tone of her voice, even though he realised this was her way of dealing with having to verbalise it.

"He tied me up.  Really tight, you know?  For hours.  He didn't touch me… not like that I mean.  He just beat me.  It was intermittent.  Felt like it went on for days.  He would mumble and talk to me, but none of it made sense.  But then again," she said woodenly, swallowing, trying to smile, "there's no sense to be made out of rape is there?  It's a meaningless act of domination.  Nothing more.  Nothing less."

"He didn't…" her voice trailed off; her face displaying the struggle she was having trying to suppress the images of what he'd done to her, "…not until the end.  By that time, I thought I was hallucinating, I was so out of it.  I don't quite remember what he did exactly.  I can't remember how many times he'd beaten me over the head with whatever was handy.  I could feel blood trickling down the side of my face.  I had a bump on my head the size of a quaffle, with a few bludgers as well."

It was awful listening to her talk like this.  She was trying to make light of what had happened, and that was natural.  Harry knew she was trying to be strong for him.  But he didn't want her to be strong.  He just wanted to comfort her.  He wished…

"Anyway, at some point after he'd…, I don't know when, I realised that the knots tying my wrists together were loosening up.  He hadn't touched them since he tied me up initially.  It was getting light outside, so I knew it must be almost morning.  It was winter though, and for it to be light outside, I figured that it was about eight in the morning.  It's funny the things you think about when you're tied up with a splitting headache."

Ginny stopped talking.  Her eyes welled with tears.  They slid down her cheeks.  Harry went to move closer to her, but she held up her hand and stopped him; her hand resting on his chest.  She looked up at him.  Her eyes were so sad.  It was killing Harry not to be able to help her or comfort her in any way.

"No Harry.  There's more, and you need to hear it, because…" she couldn't continue and more tears slid down her cheeks as her eyes fell down to her lap, her hand still resting lightly on his chest.

"I managed to get my wrists free, and I'm not even sure how I managed to do that, but someone was watching over me."  Ginny looked up into Harry's eyes, her hand still on his chest.  "It was probably you, you know?"  She blinked her tears away and continued.  "I summoned my wand, which I could just make out in the light.  I couldn't believe he hadn't thrown it away or destroyed it.  I couldn't see him straight away, but I'd spent the whole night listening to every move he'd made.  I knew he was in there somewhere.  I heard a door open.  He must have left me for a little while.  Probably while I was unconscious."

Harry looked at Ginny intently.

"I slid in and out of consciousness a few times.  Anyway, I waited for him to get closer.  I didn't know if I could perform any magic.  I hadn't done any since I'd run away."  Ginny stopped talking, fell silent for a moment.  "And then… I stunned him, untied my feet and ran as fast as I could and never looked back, until I got home.

"I didn't… I couldn't… I didn't go to the police.  I didn't want  a record of it anywhere.  I didn't go to a hospital either.  I knew enough Healing Charms from Madam Pomfrey to take care of myself.  So… I survived.  It was fine.  But I couldn't stay there after that.  I had to leave again.  I wrote a note and left it at the pub addressed to the girl I used to work with.  I took the next available flight to Melbourne."

There was silence as Ginny tried to steady her breathing, as Harry took in everything she'd just told him.  He could feel the anger welling up inside him; a real desire to avenge what had happened to her.  But he knew he couldn't; for Ginny's sake.  He had to stay strong and in control.

"That's not the end of the story," Ginny whispered quietly.  Tears ran down her cheeks again; she moved her hand across his chest, absent-mindedly.  It was almost as if the act itself was soothing her.  She needed to remain calm.  The next part was the worst – she hoped Harry could forgive her.

Harry took in a short, sharp breath, wondering what else could possibly have happened.

"I arrived in Australia, and then a few weeks later I started throwing up.  I didn't take any notice of it.  I was having nightmares, new ones – which was a change from seeing Riddle – and I just put it down to stress, flu, whatever."

Harry's brain was reeling.  No, it couldn't be.  Not to Ginny.

"I ended up at the doctor's and he confirmed it.  I was pregnant.  To my rapist.  Nice parting gift."  Ginny's voice was hard, but the story didn't finish there.

Harry couldn't help himself, he gathered her up in his arms, and held her while she cried out the rest of the story; how she'd had an abortion, the pain, the humiliation, the guilt, her fears of never seeing home again.  No wonder she hadn't come home.  Voldemort had been the least of her problems, in some ways.  He put her down on the bed, went to the door and checked to see if breakfast was still outside.  It was.

He brought it in and poured Ginny a glass of pumpkin juice.  He made her drink some, then pulled her onto his lap again, and held her for a long, long time.

Ginny just rambled on, never stopping talking.  About how scared she'd been, but how she'd toughed it out, created a life for herself here.  Music had been her salvation in many ways.  She written many songs that hadn't made it to the stage because they were too personal for her to deal with in the public forum.  She also spoke about her fears with regards to him.

Harry gritted his teeth.  He wanted to yell out at the injustice of it all.  Poor Ginny, his Ginny.

"I know that you probably don't want to see me anymore, and I understand that," began Ginny.

"What the hell are you talking about?" began Harry angrily, before reigning in his temper and calming down a notch or two.  "Why wouldn't I want to see you Ginny?"

"Because… because… I'm not…" Ginny lapsed into crying again.

"Ginny, I love you and I'm never gonna leave you, ever again.  What happened to you doesn't change how I feel about you," whispered Harry into the stillness of the room.  "I love you, I'll always love you."

Ginny clung to Harry, feeling safe and secure in his embrace.

"I know this will all take some time… and I'll give you all the time you need, all the space you need.  Just tell me what you want me to do," continued Harry urgently.

"I don't want you to go.  Stay with me, be patient.  Don't go," replied Ginny fervently.

"Deal," answered Harry.  "What would you like to do now?  Breakfast is still here, although it's a little late for breakfast."

"What time is it?" asked Ginny wiping the tears from her eyes with her fingertips.

"It's after midday.  We got a note in the midst of all that, from Ron.  We've been invited for lunch, and you've got a gig tonight.  The band and Emily will meet you at the pub just before 7.00pm.  Are you up to that?"

"Yeah.  I'll be fine.  Music is what has saved me I think.  It's kept me sane."  Ginny looked up at Harry.  "I'm fine.  Just don't…"

"I'm not going anywhere.  But you need to eat.  Let's go to Anne's," said Harry smiling down at this amazing girl.  She had strength that he'd never seen before in a person.

"No, not yet.  Can we go for a walk?  I need some fresh air."

"Sure.  Why don't you have a shower first, get changed and then we'll go.  Okay?"

~*~

Ron was pacing.  To the kitchen, then back to the lounge room, and back again.  Back and forth; he had been doing it for the last few hours.  Lunch had come and gone, it was now nearly 5.00pm, and they weren't back yet.

"Ron!  Would you quit it!" exclaimed Hermione she was sitting on the couch trying to read, but with Ron walking back and forth it was distracting her.

"Where the hell do you think they are?  I'm going to look for them!" said Ron angrily, moving towards the front door.

"I think they are enjoying spending some quality time together ALONE.  I don't think they would appreciate you going and barging in on them…" started Hermione before being interrupted.

"No, I don't think we would appreciate you barging in on us, what do you think Ginny?" said Harry, coming in from the garden, leading Ginny by the hand.

"No I don't think so.  Thanks for letting us spend some time together alone though," said Ginny smiling at the exasperated look on Ron's face.

"No problem," said Hermione.

"I hope you had a… umm… what's the word for it…?" started Sirius.

"Fulfilling?" suggested Anne smirking.

"Stimulating?" added Ron whilst trying to put aside that this was his baby sister they were talking about.

"Okay!  That's enough!" said Hermione forcefully.  She noticed that Harry and Ginny were turning all kinds of different shades of red.

"Don't worry about it Hermione, I'm used to it," said Ginny smiling.

"Why don't we go upstairs and get ready for the gig tonight?" said Hermione to Ginny. 

The boys and Anne watched as Hermione and Ginny turned and started walking upstairs.  

~*~

I can't believe them!" exclaimed Hermione as they walked into Emily's room, where she and Ron had slept the night before.  "I mean even Anne…" she huffed.

"Don't worry about it," said Ginny "watch this... 'Sonorus' …" she whispered, "So Hermione, has Ron mastered the Silent Bedchamber Charm yet?"

~*~

Downstairs, Ron was bright red, whilst Anne, Harry and Sirius laughed out loud.

"Fine, laugh away, I don't care," said Ron pretending not to be bothered or embarrassed by Ginny's question.  "That's a load of bollocks, of course I know…"

"Ron, please.  I really don't want to know," said Harry through his laughter.

"So what have you two been up to today?" asked Sirius grinning from ear to ear.

"Just talking.  We went for a walk, did some reminiscing.  It was good.  It's a nice day out there today."

"Hmmm, talking.  I remember what that's code for," replied Ron, the corners of his mouth creasing at the edges.

"Ron, we were just talking, let it go," replied Harry, the tone in his voice indicating the subject was closed.  "Sirius, can I have a word with you.  In private?"

"Sure Harry."

"Harry, mate, I was only teasing," began Ron apologetically.

"I know.  And it's fine, really.  There's just something I need to discuss with Sirius; you know godfather to godson."

Sirius looked like a proud father for a moment, and then led the way out to the garden.

They'd almost reached the creek, when Sirius spoke.

"So what's up Harry?"

"Nothing.  Nothing.  I just wanted…" he looked nervous about something; he ran a hand through his hair, and stuck it back in his pocket before continuing.  "I need to get the ring Sirius."

Sirius stared at Harry for a moment before realising what he was talking about.  And then he remembered.  Lily's engagement ring.

"Wow, um, Harry.  It's in your Gringott's vault."  Sirius just stared at him for a moment.  "You're going…"

"To ask her to marry me.  Yes."  Harry looked into Sirius's blue eyes seriously for a moment.

"Wow.  Um.  That's great.  Does she know?"

"No, and it needs to stay that way, okay?" said Harry sternly.

"Of course, of course."  Sirius looked at Harry steadily and then grabbed him up tightly in a hug.

Harry hugged him back.  It was good to have Sirius here.  He'd really missed him.

"So what have you and Ginny been doing today?"

"Honestly, we've just been talking.  We went for a walk, came back to the Blue Angel, had some lunch and then slept for a few hours.  She's really exhausted at the moment."

"I'm not surprised given what's happened in such a short space of time.  Is she okay?"

"She will be.  She just needs some time to gather herself I think."

"Is she up to a gig tonight?" asked Sirius quietly.

"Yeah, she'll be fine.  This is what she lives for.  Her music," replied Harry a little wryly.

"I think she's been living to see you again Harry.  Don't minimise the role you have in her life."

"I know.  It's just that so much has happened… you're right I s'pose," said Harry.

"Of course I'm right.  Aren't all godfathers right about these things?" laughed Sirius.  "So when you are going to get the ring.  When you get back to England?"

"No, I can't wait that long.  I just need to figure out the best time to leave," Harry said seriously.  "I've got to figure out a way to do it, without Ginny knowing what's going on."  

"Leave that up to me.  I'll sort it out, okay?  Just leave the details to me.  I'll need to tell Anne though."

"Anne?  Why?"

"She's got the connections we need to get this organised, and she'll be discreet Harry.  I promise."

"Thanks Sirius.  I'm really glad you're here," said Harry quietly, hugging Sirius on impulse.

"So am I," he replied gruffly, warmly embracing his godson in reply.


	15. After the Talk

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Authors Notes:**  Thanks to everyone who reviewed… Here is the next chapter… We hope you all enjoy it… 

Over the next few days I'll be going back and reloading chapters 1 – 8 both Carolyn and I have done another round of editing, and have found a few mistakes and problems with continuity… 

Don't forget to review… and please go and read my new story, 'Wishes do come true' it is a one chaptered fic'let, that is complete… 

Rhiain

Chapter 15

After the Talk

_Sunday night back in Melbourne…_

It was pouring rain as the group entered the pub in a hurry.  They would have apparated to the dressings rooms, except that Ron and Hermione didn't know where they were, so they'd had to walk from Ginny and Emily's place to the pub in the pouring rain. Luckily, it wasn't windy out; just really wet.

Whilst Ginny and Harry had packed up their clothes to go back to Melbourne, Anne had prepared a quick dinner and everyone sat down to eat.

Ron noted that Ginny was quieter than usual.  "Ginny Pinner, you're awfully quiet.  What's up?" asked Ron teasing her lightly.

Ginny had been going through the motions ever since they'd arrived at Anne's in the late afternoon.  One part of her was relieved to have told Harry at last; it was another burden that she had allowed to fall from her shoulders.  But the other part of her was so emotionally exhausted that she could barely put a smile on her face for everyone else.

She and Harry had spoken about whether to tell anyone.  She was extremely hesitant; at the moment everyone was already naturally over protective because she'd been missing for three years, but the news of her rape would just send everyone over the edge protective wise and she really couldn't handle any of that just now.  It would be bad enough to go home and have her mum and dad worry that she would disappear again, without the added burden of them knowing what else had happened to her whilst she had been absent from their life.

Harry had left it up to her.  He knew she had to figure some of this out on her own - make her own decisions about who to tell.  All he could do was love her, be patient and support any decision she made.

He listened to the table-talk around him, but still keeping an eye on Ginny, quiet beside him.

"Ginny, hey," said Ron waving his hand in front of her, smiling.

"Oh sorry Ron.  What?" replied Ginny somewhat vaguely; she'd been staring off into space and had hardly touched her dinner.

"Boy you are really out of it.  What's up?" asked Ron again.

"I guess I'm just really tired.  My whole brain and body is on overload from the last couple of days.  I'm fine Ron, really, don't worry."  Ginny forced a smile back at him, hoping he would be satisfied with this answer.

He seemed to be and continued chatting about what was happening at home, updating Harry on the Quidditch League and where the Cannons' stood at the moment.

After dinner, they'd gone to Ginny's place, so she could put some final touches to her outfit for the gig and then the six of them walked to the pub - in the rain.

"Next time," said Ginny, "you can apparate direct to the dressing rooms.  The guys won't mind."  She led the way, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"So what can we drink here?  This is a muggle pub right?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Ahh Hermione, let me show you and Ron the delights of muggle alcoholic drinks!" enthused Sirius, leading the way to the bar.

"Ginny, you coming?" asked Hermione, turning back to Ginny before she moved off to the bar, holding hands with Ron.

"Huh?" replied Ginny absent-mindedly.  "Oh, no thanks.  I've got to get backstage and get ready.  We're going on in about five minutes."  Ginny turned and walked off without another word.

"Harry?" asked Hermione.  "Is Ginny alright?"  They approached the bar and found a few spare seats to sit upon.

_'Excellent question'_, Harry thought to himself, _'and not one I can answer easily'_.  Still… he responded to Hermione's query.  "Yeah, she's fine.  I just think this has all taken a bigger toll on her then she anticipated, especially with the Malfoy thing on top of it."

Hermione watched Ginny walk through the crowd, noting how disinterested she was in her surroundings.  She was worried, but didn't want to alarm anyone.  Ron was being protective enough as it was, and so was Harry.  She didn't want to worry them needlessly; _if_ there was anything to worry about.  Maybe it _was_ just emotional overload.  She hoped so.

~*~

Ginny walked listlessly, trying to force her brain into gear.  She wished Harry was with her.

"Hey Grace, haven't seen you for a while,"  said a voice off to Ginny's left.  She turned and saw Adam with a group of his friends from uni.

"Oh hi Adam.  Yeah," Ginny was desperately thinking of what to tell him, "I've just been hanging out with Emily at her mum's place.  You know taking a break from the hustle and bustle of city life."

"The fresh country air eh?" mused Adam, looking at her more closely than ever before, his brain ticking over, a plan forming in his mind.

"Yeah.  Sorry Adam, I can't stay to chat, we're due on stage soon.  See ya," finished Ginny with another forced smile before heading backstage and away from where anyone could bother her.

~*~

Harry approached the bar behind Ron and Hermione, doing a quick visual sweep of the room.  He slid onto a barstool next to Sirius and Anne, whose heads were close together; they looked so… together, thought Harry.  It was good to see, even if it was a little weird.

Sirius had been this single, 'maverick' type godfather for so long, it was strange, although nice, to see him this affectionate towards a girl.  It was hard enough to express how they felt to each other, but it was even weirder to see him with a woman.  Harry shook his head, smiling.

"You guys are in for a real treat," said Anne to Ron and Hermione.

"Well, I'm still trying to visualise my little sister up on that stage, singing," said Ron wryly.  "I can't imagine it at all.  She's never sung before."

"Well, actually, that's not true Ron," said Harry smiling proudly.  "She's been singing for years, since before she left.  She just didn't want to be subjected to the inevitable teasing she knew she'd have to suffer at the hands of….. um, the twins, Charlie and Bill."

"Glad I wasn't included in that list," muttered Ron to himself.

"Well, he was probably just being polite," said Hermione cheekily.

"Thanks a lot," Ron replied. He swung around on the barstool, looking along the bar to Sirius.  "What shall we have to drink?  I could use something like Goldie's Liquid Curse." Harry visibly shuddered at the thought of Goldie's Liquid Curse.  He could still remember the effects from their first night in Stagsden, at Goldie's pub, The Snout's Fair, before answering.

_"So what are we going to do to celebrate our first night here?" asked Ron from the lounge in their newly rented house in __Stagsden.  _

_"Remus told me there was a good pub just down the road, in town," suggested Harry as he walked into the room._

_A few nights earlier, Remus and Sirius had entertained them with tales of Goldie Becker, the aging wizard who owned the pub in the village.  Stagsden, the closest town to Lupin Lodge where Remus and Sirius lived, was technically a muggle place, but the concentration of magical folk in the area was rather large.  The Snout's Fair was enchanted to keep the muggles away, so it served as an important meeting place for witches and wizards in the region.  The owner had emigrated to England from Czechoslovakia fifty years earlier (and he'd been old then) and had managed to run the pub, and tend the bar, with little assistance the entire time.  No one knew if 'Goldie' was his real name or whether it was a nickname that he'd earned due to the one gold tooth that flashed when he smiled.  Remus and Sirius spoke fondly of spending time there in their youth._

_"That sounds like fun.  Why don't you go and get Ginny, Harry, and we'll meet you there?" said Hermione._

_  
It was the second week of summer, and they had just graduated from Hogwarts.  Harry and Ron had spent those two weeks, using Lupin Lodge as a base, to look for somewhere to live whilst they did __Auror training with Alistair 'Mad-Eye' Moody.  Eventually it was Remus who had found this place in Stagsden, called The Notch__._

_It was only a few blocks away from Remus's house, and apart from being walking distance to The Snout's Fair, it was mostly good because it was affordable and furnished, so they could just move in._

_"Sure, I'll go now," said Harry smiling.  Life was almost perfect.  Aside from the ever present threat of Voldemort, he had finished school, Sirius had been cleared, he had a job to go to that would help with the defeat of Voldemort and he was with Ginny._

_Ginny._

_He smiled just thinking of her.  They planned on spending as much time together as possible during this school break, because she would be going back to Hogwarts come 1st September, and it was going to be a long, hard year, for both of them._

_Harry, Ron and Hermione had special Auror training lined up; instead of the usual year long course, they were going to be getting a concentrated version on the whole year in only a few months, lasting from September until Christmas - then they started active duty._

_Ginny had the NEWTs, and Harry had already warned her, from personal experience, that they lived up to their name!_

_~*~_

_With a soft 'pop' Harry apparated outside the kitchen door of the Burrow, and quietly knocked on the door as he opened it and walked in._

_"Hi Mrs Weasley," said Harry as he walked into the kitchen._

_"Oh, hello Harry dear, how are you?" she asked.  "How are you settling in to The Notch?" _

_"Really well, thank you.  Is Ginny home?" he asked getting straight to the point - Mrs Weasley could be known to talk for hours._

_"Yes dear, she's up in her room," she answered.  "Go on up, I'm sure she'll be glad to see you."_

_"Thanks," said Harry turning and walking upstairs._

_Harry knocked politely on the door of Ginny's bedroom.  "Gin?  Are you in there?" he called gently through the door._

_The door swung open and there sat Ginny, in the middle of her bedroom with all of Harry's seventh year books spread out around her.  Her red hair was pulled up in a ponytail, a quill behind her ear and music playing softly in the background.  She looked ready for work and research.  She tilted her head at him with a smile._

_"Harry," she squealed softly, jumping up and pulling him into an exuberant hug, whispering into his ear "I didn't expect to see you today.  What are you doing here?" she asked leaning back slightly and then resting her forehead against Harry's._

_"I've come to ask you out Miss Weasley," he said cheekily, moving slightly to kiss her lips tenderly._

_"Out?" she questioned, before adding playfully, "but I have nothing to wear."  This was especially true at that moment, as Ginny was still in her pyjamas._

_"You'll look great in whatever you wear," replied Harry seriously, as Ginny kissed him back._

_"Where are we going?" she asked, removing her arms from Harry's neck and stepping back, smiling to herself when she saw a flicker of disappointment cross Harry's face.  He wasn't an emotional person normally, however Ginny could read him like an open book. _

_"Ron and Hermione are going to meet us at The Snout's Fair.  It's the pub in Stagsden - Remus and Sirius recommended it to us last week," answered Harry, "they said we're in for a real treat when we meet the owner," he wryly, rolling his eyes._

_"Okay, well I just need to get changed first and then I'll meet you downstairs," she said._

_"'Kay…" said Harry heading to the door._

_~*~_

_Harry and Ginny floo'ed to the fireplace in The Notch.  Harry, Ron and Hermione had all passed their apparition test, but Ginny wasn't old enough yet.  Harry and Ginny walked the few miles into town and found the little pub called The Snout's Fair._

_Harry pushed the heavy wooden doors and held them open for Ginny.  He watched her as she walked through, eyes widening as she took in the room, and smiled. The only pub she had been to was the Leaky Cauldron and this had a completely different feel to it in comparison.  It was loud and lively, with lots of raucous laughing coming from the patrons sitting around at the bar and at tables._

_"Ginny!  Harry!  Over here!" called Ron from a stool at the bar._

_"Come on," said Ginny gently tugging at Harry's arm to get his attention.  They walked over to the bar and sat down on the stools that Ron and Hermione had saved for them._

_"Took you long enough," said Ron._

_"Yeah, well, she was dressed for bed when I got there," replied Harry, waiting for the reaction he knew he would get from Ron, when he made comments that were even the tiniest bit suggestive._

_"I do not want to know why you took so long then!" said Ron, shuddering at the thought of his little sister like that - in front of Harry no less!_

_"What are we drinking?" asked Ginny, ignoring Ron's jibe._

_"You're not drinking anything stronger than butterbeer," said Ron, "You're not old enough."_

_"I know that Ron.  Do I have to remind you _AGAIN_ that you're actually not my mother!" she said snappily._

_"Thank God," he said under his breath. "Well, I personally want to try something a little stronger."_

_"Ron, not too much okay?" Hermione said trying her best to sound stern; however she was also very aware that this was going to be one of the few times they would get to relax in the coming months, or even years possibly, and she didn't want to be strict about that stuff tonight.  She just wanted them all to have a good time – but still be able to walk home at least!_

_Hermione watched as the bartender came towards them from the other end of the bar.  From the glint of gold in his smile, they realised that it couldn't be anyone else but the infamous Goldie Becker._

_"Do you have anything stronger than Butterbeer?" asked Ron._

_"How old are you?" asked Goldie._

_"Eighteen," answered Hermione._

_"Eighteen," said Ron. _

_"Seventeen," mumbled Harry, "but I graduated from Hogwarts just a few weeks ago.  I'll be eighteen in a few months."_

_"Sixteen, I'm nearly seventeen," Ginny said hopefully._

_"You're not old enough, Gin," said Ron._

_"Vell, how about this," said Goldie. "The little lady can have Butterbeer Extra, while you three…" he said smiling, his knarled old finger pointing at each of them in turn, "can have some of this," he said pouring three glasses of a murky light green liquid into three small glasses.  "My name is Goldie.  Vat are yours?" asked Goldie as he put the glass in front of them._

_"I'm Ron Weasley, this is my fiancé Hermione Granger and this Harry Potter and his girlfriend, and my sister, Ginny," replied Ron clasping his shot glass and looking at Harry and Hermione to do the same._

_"Vell, velcome all of you.  Go ahead, try it," encouraged Goldie with a gleaming smile._

"Well," said Harry, "All for one, and one for all?  What do you say guys?" he asked dubiously.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all lifted their glasses to their mouths.  Ron swallowed the entire amount, grimaced, and then grinned broadly.  He looked at the others; Harry did the same, coughed loudly and clutched at his chest, whilst Hermione tossed her hair back off her shoulder, picked up the shot glass and, to Ron's great amusement, took a sip from it as though it was a teacup.  She sputtered and her eyes began to water; she put down the shot glass as if her mouth were on fire and began to flutter her fingers by her mouth.

"Goldie what in the name of Merlin was that?" asked Ron, "and can we have some more of it?" he asked eagerly.

"I call that recipe 'Goldie's Liquid Curse'.  It is a secret, ancient recipe from my homeland, Mr Veesley," he said, "Excuse me," said Goldie, who was now being asked to send several more drinks across the room.  He pulled a bottle out from under the counter and set it in front of Ron, Harry and Hermione.  "A velcome gift," he said and he nodded to the boys before moving to the other side of the bar.

_"What does it taste like?" asked Ginny.  She had been watching the three of them, and had laughed at their reactions to Goldie's Liquid Curse._

_"Here have some of mine," said Hermione, passing her almost untouched shot glass to Ginny, who immediately shot back the liquid in a similar fashion to Ron._

_"Yum," said Ginny simply, "that's good." _

_Harry and Hermione shook their heads;  the Weasley's were all alike… all liked their drink, and could handle it…_

_"Another round," said Ron, grabbing the bottle and filling all the shot glasses again.  Ginny was happy with her Butterbeer Extra that Goldie has shot across to her a few moments ago.  She had a funny feeling she was going to need to stay sober tonight._

_~*~_

A few hours later… 

_Ron, Harry and Hermione were laughing hysterically, while Ginny sat beside them, keeping an eye on the balancing act they were doing with their bar stools._

_They had paced themselves well in the first couple of hours, and had had a few butterbeers in between the shots, but they were up to their seventh shot each, Hermione finally having thrown back her third shot.  She wasn't looking dainty at all now.  Ginny couldn't help grinning.  She had never seen them this… loose and relaxed before; she knew it would be the last time for a while before they spent this sort of quality time together.  But a few more hours later and they were reminiscing about their adventures at Hogwarts._

They had already successfully embarrassed Ginny with her Valentine episode in Harry's fourth year, and had thankfully moved on to their first year together at Hogwarts.

_"Oh Ron, do you remember the time in the girls bathroom, when you rescued me from the troll in first year?"_

_"Hey, he wasn't the only one there 'Mione," Harry was beginning to slur his words just slightly, Ginny noticed._

_Hermione turned on her barstool, almost falling off, and was mock horrified.  "Oh my gosh Harry, I forgot you were there… I only had eyes for Ron you know," said Hermione batting her eyelashes at Harry and grinning quite stupidly.  "Don't be silly, you know I wouldn't forget about you," she finished quickly, becoming serious all of a sudden.  "You and Ron are my best friends and I can't imagine a day at Hogwarts without either of you by my side.  I couldn't have got through all that we did, without you both being with me."_

_Harry was stuck for words.  It was rare that Hermione expressed herself in this way._

_"I mean think of all the rule breaking and trouble the two of you got me in to!"_

_"Oh c'mon 'Mione," said Ron, hiccuping.  "You know you loved every minute of it, especially when we were breaking the rules."_

_"And it was always for a good cause," reminded Harry, trying to focus on his friends, but struggling.  Boy was he tired all of a sudden!_

_"I think it's time we went home," said Ginny hopefully.  The pub had been emptying out for the last hour.  It was almost midnight.  Goldie had wandered over and replaced the bottle of Goldie's Liquid Curse about an hour ago, smiling that knowing smile at Ginny as he served the other patrons sitting at the bar._

_"I don't think so," said Ron stubbornly, placing both hands flat on the bar to prevent himself from tumbling off it._

_"Yes Ron.  It's late and Goldie looks like he want to close up," said Ginny patiently.  She knew how difficult this was going to be.  Ron was as stubborn as she was – this was going to get ugly.  She wondered fleetingly if it would be considered illegal in this situation to just stun all three of them and float them home?_

_Ginny didn't get any time to ponder this further, because Ron had got off his stool and had stumbled the few steps to where Ginny was sitting and was swaying unsteadily on his feet in front of her._

_"Ginny, I'm ol'er than you," slurred Ron, trying to steady himself._

_"Yes Ron, you are, but you're also drunk and can hardly stand," Ginny retorted quickly._

_"Ginny, don't worry 'bout 'im," said Harry, who, drunk though he was, was sober enough to realise that an argument was pending._

_"Harry, it's okay, I can handle my brother," said Ginny tightly, her teeth gritted.  Her temper was rising quickly, and Ron had been needling her a lot since he'd graduated.  He was lovingly unbearable, and if he wasn't her brother she'd've hexed long before now, but she was tired now and was wondering how she was going to get them all home to The Notch._

_"Oh 'andle me will you," continued Ron._

_"I'll hex you into next week if you don't do as your told!" snapped Ginny all of a sudden._

_"Oh my gawd, you soun' jus' like Mum," cried Ron suddenly collapsing into hysterics.  "I knew you'd end up like Mum, I predicted this years ago."  That was it.  Ron collapsed onto a nearby chair clutching his stomach, doubling up with laughter._

_Ginny rolled her eyes heavenward and then looked at Harry.  He was no use.  He was just looking at her dumbly, not really seeing her, and Hermione had moved over and was now sitting on Ron's lap.  They were both laughing._

_"Thanks Hermione, you're no help at all," muttered Ginny, moving down the bar to Goldie.  "So much for girls sticking together.  Goldie do you have a fire I can use?"_

_"Yes, my dear lady, I have, but I thought you might be needing some help a little while back, so I've already called Sirius and Remus for you."_

_Ginny just stared in amazement.  "How did you know who to call?"_

_"Well, Harry is Sirius's godson, is he not?  I remember them from many years ago when they ver your age.  I took the chance that they were still at Lupin Lodge and gave them a call.  They should be here any minute now.  I told them to come down at closing if I hadn't called them first."_

_Ginny was still staring in amazement.  And as she stood there trying to get her mouth to work properly so she could thank Goldie, the door opened and in walked Sirius and Remus, trying to look responsible… unsuccessfully._

_Ginny walked back down the bar towards Sirius and Remus.  They couldn't help them selves - their faces broke into wide grins,_

_"Why don't I take Harry," said Sirius helping Harry up, "Remus can assist Ron, who doesn't look like he can walk at all…"_

_"Thank goodness you're here.  I didn't know how I was going to get them home," said Ginny wearily. _

_"Ginny cheer up," said Remus calmly._

_"Yeah," said Sirius wickedly, "think of all the blackmail material you got in just one evening!"_

Ginny stood there, and as the realisation dawned on her that Sirius and Remus were right, she marched over to Hermione, pulled her off Ron's lap, and the three of them proceeded to get the trio home, Ginny grinning all the way.

Harry came back to the present and replied, "Well, I haven't done any experimenting yet, because there's been too much to be alert for.  Mind you I don't think there is anything as lethal as that stuff," said Harry sagely.  "I still want to deal with the Draco issue and get that finished with.  He's up to something, and I intend to find out what; before your wedding."

Ron was about to reply, when the house lights came down and the band stepped out onto stage.  The spotlight was on Ginny.

"And remember everyone, when we're here, she's Grace, not Ginny.  Do _not_ get it wrong," said Harry urgently.

Everyone nodded in serious agreement and then turned to face the stage.

~*~

"Ready to go Grace?" asked Fred.  The four of them were in the dressing room backstage;  Emily had just left to go meet up with everyone else out front.

"Yep."  Ginny smiled her 'stage' smile.  She was feeling in control again; music did that for her.  It was truly her salvation.  "I thought we'd start with one we haven't done in a while - Because You Loved Me.  Is that okay?"

"Yes, but now I've just got to ask Grace," said Phil, looking a little apologetic, but curious nonetheless, "is this one of those songs that you originally wrote for Harry?"  They all looked at her expectantly.  She sighed.

"Well, yes, and no.  I mean if you look at the lyrics, it doesn't actually have any meaning - not unless we're together anyway.  That's why I wanted to sing it for him tonight.  Now that he's here, it has context, relevance and meaning - for _me.  _I know this will sound really sappy, but just the thought of him was what kept me going so many times in the past three years.  I guess it was always a wish of mine that I would get the chance to sing it for him."  She fell quiet.  The boys were also silent for a moment, contemplating what it might be like to run away from everything you'd ever known.

"Grace, we just want you to know that no matter what happens, we will always be here to protect you.  I know we're only muggles, with no wizard magic at our fingertips, but we'll do the best we can," said Shane seriously.

All three of them looked at Ginny intensely.  She faltered somewhat under their gaze, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.  It meant so much that they felt this way about her.  Especially after what she'd been through in the last couple of days.

"You guys are wonderful.  I couldn't ask for better friends than you; well, except maybe Harry, Ron and Hermione, but that's a pretty high standard for you to have reached in such a short time!" she was smiling at them cheekily.  "And you know what?  It's so weird to have you call me Grace, even after only a weekend of calling me Ginny.  Whatever you do, don't slip up," she added seriously.

"We won't," declared Fred.  "Let's get out there and give them what they want."

"Deal."

~*~

Ginny walked to the front of the stage.  She was feeling stronger now, but also a little nervous.  She'd never sung in front of Ron and Hermione before, and she prayed Ron wouldn't laugh at her.

She looked back at Phil on drums, nodded, and he tapped his drumsticks together to start the song…

"Evening everyone.  We are BeWITCHing Evil and this first song is for my best friend, Harry."  Ginny lowered her eyes, took a deep breath and began…

Harry's breath constricted in his chest.  What was she going to sing this time?  He tried not be embarrassed as Ron and Hermione shot him glances, eyebrows raised.  He shrugged his shoulders at them and turned back to Ginny, ignoring the looks that he was getting from everyone.

For all those times you stood by me

For all the truth that you made me see

For all the joy you brought to my life

For all the wrong that you made right

For every dream you made come true

For all the love I found in you

I'll be forever thankful, baby

You're the one who held me up

Never let me fall

You're the one who saw me through it all

Harry was feeling really warm.  It was like a fire had spread out from his centre and was enveloping him with this… feeling.  She was amazing.

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith 'cause you believed

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me

Ron gulped.  This was a side of Ginny he'd never even imagined existed.  And her voice.  She was amazing.  He felt slim fingers entwine with his as Hermione moved in to cuddle him closer from behind.  She kissed him gently behind the ear and squeezed him reassuringly, sighing contentedly.

You gave me wings, and you made me fly

You touched my hand; I could touch the sky

I lost my faith; you gave it back to me

You said no star was out of reach

You stood by me, and I stood tall

I had your love; I had it all

I'm grateful for each day you gave me

Maybe I don't know that much

But I know this much is true

I was blessed because I was loved by you

Anne and Sirius were whispering back and forth to each other _and_  holding hands.  Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and just concentrated on Ginny.

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith 'cause you believed

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me

You were always there for me

The tender wind that carried me

A light in the dark, shining your love into my life

You've been my inspiration

Through the lies, you were the truth

My world is a better place because of you

Harry slid off his stool and began to walk to the stage.  Ron went to ask him where he was going, but Hermione stopped him.  "Let him go Ron.  They need this."

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith 'cause you believed

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me

As the song was finishing, Ginny spotted Harry moving towards her.  She walked to the corner of stage left and stood waiting, the spotlight following.

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me

As she sung the final words, she crouched down on her tiptoes - the spotlight following her every move; she held out her hand to Harry – and in the dying notes of the song, she framed his face with her hands and kissed him fully on the mouth.

"I love you," she whispered, as the crowed clapped and cheered them on all sides.

"I love you too," Harry replied fervently, his eyes shining brightly with unshed tears,  wrapping his arms around her crushing her to his body.  Where she belonged.

He finally let her go, and she looked up at him, love shining clearly in her eyes.  The crowd was whistling and cheering, egging them on.  But there was a show to do.  Ginny slipped out of his arms and returned to centre stage.

"Thank you, thank you.  And Harry thanks you too," Ginny smiled the first real genuine smile for a while, winked at Harry and then continued, "I suppose you want some real music now don't you?"

The crowd cheered and clapped.  The band immediately started the next song without further ado.

~*~

"Come on everyone, this is the last song of this set, let's meet them backstage" said Emily getting up from her stool.  Ron and Hermione followed suit, but Harry was still staring openly at Ginny - he hadn't taken his eyes off her since he got back after the first song.

"Harry are you coming?" said Ron.  When Harry didn't answer, Ron stepped in front of him, blocking any view he had, snapped his fingers in front of Harry's face and said again, "Harry?".

"What?" replied Harry, startled, looking annoyed at the distraction, then glancing up at Ron as if wondering how on earth he had appeared in front of him.  Ever since Ginny had sung that song all he could think about was getting back to England to get his mum's engagement ring.

"We're going to meet them backstage… are you coming?" answered Ron.

"Oh yeah, let's go.  They're finishing now," responded Harry absently, never taking his eyes off Ginny, as she was leaving the stage.  "Hang on a minute though.  Sirius?  Can I have a word?" Harry asked turning to Sirius as he was about to leave with Anne.

"Sure.  We'll be right behind you, okay?" he said to Anne and the rest of the group as they walked towards the backstage door.

"What's up Harry?" asked Sirius.

"I need to get back to England as soon as possible Sirius.  I can't wait much longer," said Harry.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to Anne about it yet," Sirius commented.

"Why do you need to talk to Anne about it?" asked Harry, a little perplexed at this.

"Don't worry about that.  Just leave it to me.  I'll organise it as quickly as I can, okay?" replied Sirius, his face dimpling into a smile.

"Okay, I'm just… I want to do it now, but with Malfoy…" said Harry trailing off, his brow furrowed and concerned.

"Don't worry about him.  We can beat him.  He's not nearly as talented as Lucius in the skills department.  Look, I'll see if I can get you home and back before Ron and Hermione leave on Friday.  How's that?" said Sirius.

"Thanks Sirius, you don't know how much this means to me," said Harry, a genuine smile crossing his face.

"Come on, they'll be waiting for us" replied Sirius, as they moved away from the bar and headed towards the backstage door.

"How are you going with Anne?  I noticed you two have been getting pretty… umm, cosy," said Harry smiling.  "It's good to see," he added reassuringly. 

"It's so strange.  When I came looking for you, I wasn't expecting to see Anne again - not after so many years.  And I certainly wasn't expecting _this _ to be the result.  Not in a million years.  In fact that part of my life has been dormant for so long, that I just assumed I'd be single forever.  I'd forgotten what _this  _felt like.  It's been such a long time Harry.  It's…… amazing, exhilarating.  I can understand a little why you want to propose to Ginny so urgently," said Sirius smiling to himself.

"Do... umm… do you want some time alone with Anne?  What I mean is… and tell me if I'm being too presumptuous… but do you want me to talk to Ron and Hermione about staying in the city tonight?" asked Harry nervously hoping he wasn't overstepping the mark.

There was silence for a while as they continued walking through the crowd towards the backstage door.  Harry decided that he must have offended Sirius, whilst Sirius was, in actual fact, too shocked to answer.

How should he answer?  Did he want to be alone with Anne?  Hell yes.  Was he ready to admit that to someone else yet?  He wasn't so sure about that, but then again this was Harry… Harry, who, over the last week, had opened up to Sirius more than he could ever have imagined.

"Sorry Sirius..." started Harry at the same time as Sirius said.

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

Harry's eyes widened when he realised what Sirius has just asked.  "You want me keep Ron and Hermione away from Anne's place tonight?" asked Harry just to be sure, as they stopped at the backstage door.

"Ummm… yes," answered Sirius nervously, shoving his hands into his pockets.  "But please don't tell them why," he said quickly trying his hardest not to blush.

"Sure, don't worry I won't say a word…" said Harry opening the backstage door.

~*~

The pub had originally been a very tiny theatre in the forties, but had been converted over the years.  It was old, steeped in history, maintained well and the dressing rooms had been kept during renovations over the years, so that any regular act had somewhere quiet to get ready and relax.  It was one of the pubs' selling points to attract good bands to play.  And it was great if the band wanted to catch up with friends too…

"Ginny… umm…" said Ron speechlessly as the band came off stage and they went through the door that led to their dressing rooms.

"That was amazing Ginny!" exclaimed Hermione, interrupting Ron and running over to hug her.  "Can I talk to you later in private?" Hermione whispered into Ginny's ear.

Ginny nodded in response but asked, "Where's Harry?"

"We left him talking to Sirius, he shouldn't be long," said Emily.  "That song finally makes sense now," she said grinning madly at Ginny.

Ron was still gaping at his sister.

"I think a lot of songs will start making sense to you…" said Ginny smiling.  "Ron?" she asked uncertainly, "you're not going to start laughing are you… 'cause I don't think I could take it if you did," she said quietly, looking unsure of herself.

"Gin… that was _amazing_.  I… did you write all of those songs?" asked Ron.  "I'm so proud of you.  I couldn't laugh, even if I wanted to," he said pulling her into a hug.

"You're proud?" she repeated tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, as she hugged him back fiercely.

"I couldn't be more proud of you if I tried," he whispered into her ear, earning him a wet smile from Ginny.  "We're all proud of you."

"Thank you, that really means a lot, you know?" she said before turning to Hermione and saying, "I'm going to get changed, did you want to come keep me company?" asked Ginny.

"Sure," she replied, with a mischievous look on her face.

~*~

Hermione and Ginny walked down the hall to another room that Ginny used to change in, before Ginny turned to Hermione, asking "I don't mean to rude Hermione, but I have to be back on stage in ten minutes and I still want to catch Harry before the next set," said Ginny, "what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Of course, this won't take a minute.  After that first song I don't blame you wanting to see Harry.  Did you write all those songs?" asked Hermione.

"Most of them; the boys help me with the music sometimes," said Ginny.  "Some of them are cover songs, you know like a remix of another artists' song and the others are original compositions.  We do a mixture of all of them."

'And how long does it take you to write a song?"  Hermione was shifting from one foot to the other; a nervous habit she'd always had.  And Ginny noticed it immediately.

"Okay, Hermione what's up?  Do you want to write an essay on song writing just for fun?" Ginny teased, wondering where this was all headed.  She looked towards the door again, straining to hear if Harry had turned up yet.

"I want to do something really special for Ron - as my wedding gift to him, but nothing has come to mind.  Nothing, that is, until I heard you sing tonight.  I was wondering if you would write a song for him, from me, and sing it for us at the wedding?" asked Hermione crossing her fingers behind her back.  "If you don't feel up to it, I'll understand."

"I'd love to Hermione, but it will have to be a surprise for you too.  I don't let anyone hear my songs until they're finished," said Ginny.

"Okay, that will be really exciting," said Hermione.  "We were also wondering if BeWITCHing Evil would play some songs at the wedding reception."

"Oh, that could be interesting," remarked Ginny laughing.  "Are you sure you want the boys to come to the wedding too?  It could turn out to be… like have 3 more of the twins in the room you know."

"Absolutely.  Ron and I had a chat about that today.  I wouldn't dream of not having them there, not after the weekend we've just spent together.  We're going to get a special portkey made up for them.  Are you sure that you wouldn't mind singing though?" asked Hermione.

"I'm positive.  I was thinking that it could be really good for my family to hear some of these songs," she said, before continuing with an explanation after Hermione gave her a funny look.  "A lot of my songs are about personal stuff, and my feelings about things.  It may not seem like it, but on an unconscious level all the songs are about my experiences over the last three years.  If my family hear the songs I've written, it might be easier for them to understand why I left and why I stayed away.  Maybe." 

"That makes sense," mused Hermione.  "I'm just thrilled that you're coming home to be a part of it," she said giving Ginny a quick hug.  "Come on let's head back.  Maybe Harry and Sirius have finished yapping and are backstage by now," grinned Hermione cheekily.

~*~

Harry and Sirius walked into the main changing room where everyone was milling around chatting - minus Ginny and Hermione - Emily was talking to the boys whilst Anne was sitting discussing something with Ron.

"Where's Ginny?" asked Harry walking over to Ron and Anne.

"Hermione and Ginny went to talk whilst Ginny changed clothes.  They shouldn't be long," said Ron smiling at Harry.

"So what did you think?" asked Harry.

"She's amazing Harry, completely amazing… it's hard to believe that the last time I saw her she was still a little girl, now look at her…" said Ron.

"Yeah.  She's wonderful, she always has been," replied Harry, jumping slightly as he felt someone putting their arms around his waist from behind.

"Thanks… you're kinda wonderful too," said Ginny cuddling him from behind.

Harry turned around swiftly putting his arms around Ginny.  "Thank you Gin.  Have I told you lately that I love you?" whispered Harry in her ear.

"Actually, not for about an hour, which is way too long," she said moving up onto her tiptoes and gently kissing his lips.

"Ahem… sorry Ginny, but we're due back on stage in a minute," said Fred standing behind Emily with his arms around her waist; oddly enough they looked _quite_ cosy standing there together, Ginny noted.  She was going to have to ask Emily about _that_ later tonight.

~*~  
  
****

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Emily, Sirius and Anne walked back out to the front of the pub, agreeing to meet backstage after the gig.

"Ron?  Do you and Hermione want to stay in the city tonight?  That way we can do some sight-seeing tomorrow.  I haven't had much of a chance since I've been here," remarked Harry.

"Sure, that sounds like fun, where will we be staying?" said Ron.

"Harry's staying in our dorm tonight, and I'm sure we can fit you two in as well, especially with," Emily patted her wand, tucked into the back of her jeans, hidden by her long jacket, "a little magic," she whispered.  "We have plenty of room.  Ginny and I got lucky and managed to get ourselves one of the bigger rooms."

"I can't remember the last time I spent the night in the same room as Ron and his snoring," said Harry laughing.

"Yeah well, at least I don't wake everyone up screaming," joked Ron, whilst mimicking Harry screaming and clutching at his scar.

"Git," said Harry laughing.

"Jerk," said Ron joining in on the laughter.

"You know what I really miss though, is playing chess with you," remarked Ron a little whimsically.

"It's been a while hasn't it?  Maybe we could buy a set tomorrow if you like?  In Tin Pan Alley," replied Harry.

"Thanks Emily," said Hermione, ignoring their bantering.  "You're in for an interesting night," she said shaking her head.

~*~

That same evening, after a really great night at the pub… 

Sirius was standing to one side watching everyone.  He wished that Remus were here with him.  He didn't really think that anyone else in his life would appreciate his perspective right at that moment.

For the first time since Voldemort's defeat, he was seeing Harry and his friends at ease and happy.  Content almost.  He knew that Ginny still had a little way to go before she truly felt settled again in her life - she still had to face the rest of her family back home in a few months' time, at the very least.

He was holding Anne's hand; their fingers entwined with each other.  It was strange - he couldn't feel their hands holding each other.  They seemed as one sometimes and in lots of ways that really scared him, but he wasn't about to leave Harry until everything was 100% alright.

He wished Remus were here to share all of this with him.

"Stop day dreaming Mr Black," came Anne's sultry voice in his ears.  She had sidled closer to him, realising he was distracted by other thoughts.

Sirius started, not realising how close she was.  He smiled at her.  He wondered if she knew just what an affect she had on him.  It had been such a long time - for both of them.  Sometimes he could hardly keep his hands to himself - but Sirius was nothing, if not a gentleman [he'd learned that from James].  He was beginning to realise what a gift Remus had given him by sending him to Anne.

"So, do you really think we'll all fit in your room Grace?" Phil was asking a little doubtfully.

"Oh ye have little faith you muggle you," teased Emily.  "It will be fine, I promise you.  Mum, you don't mind if we all stay in the city tonight do you?"

"Not at all," responded Anne blandly.  She nudged Sirius surreptitiously, trying not to grin.  "It will be good for you all to have a night to yourselves, so you can really catch up properly."

"Thanks mum," grinned Emily, winking at Fred, who was blushing furiously, hoping Anne didn't notice.  "We'll behave, I promise."

"Well, in that case, Sirius and I will be off home."  Anne gave everyone a kiss goodnight.  It was so motherly of her, and yet it was something that was just inherent in her nature.

Sirius and Anne left the group at the bar.  They had decided to have one more drink before heading back to the dorm


	16. The Pajama Party

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Authors Notes:**  Thanks to everyone who reviewed… Here is the next chapter… We hope you all enjoy it… 

Over the next few days I'll be going back and reloading chapters 1 – 8 both Carolyn and I have done another round of editing, and have found a few mistakes and problems with continuity… 

Don't forget to review… and please go and read my new story, 'Wishes do come true' it is a one chaptered fic'let, that is complete… 

Rhiain

Chapter 16

**The Pyjama Party**

"Are you _sure_ you have enough room?" called Phil to Emily as the walked up the stairs to their rooms.

"You're sounding like a broken record Phil.  I wouldn't ask you if I didn't know, 100%, that we would all fit," Emily responded cheekily, turning around to face Phil, the corner of her mouth cricked at the corner and raising an eyebrow before shaking her head and turning to climb the stairs again.

"Okay then, cool," answered Phil smiling, walking towards his dorm room and opening the door. "We'll be there in 10, just gotta get some clothes and grab a shower," he said holding the door open for Fred and Shane.

"Okay!" called Emily as the boys disappeared through their door, "see ya."

As everyone else walked towards Emily and Ginny's dorm room, Ron moved towards the front of the group to walk next to Ginny.

"Ginny Pinner?" asked Ron  "Can I talk to you before we head in?" he asked as they reached Emily and Ginny's room.

"Sure," she replied, "but only if you stop calling me Ginny Pinner.  I'm a big girl now Ron, and you're only a year older than me."  Ginny looked over her shoulder to the rest of the group.  "We'll be back in a minute," she said as everyone else walked through the girls' dorm room door.  "What's up?" she asked, turning back to Ron.

"Can we go somewhere to talk?" he asked putting his arm around Ginny's shoulders.

"Sure, there's a balcony one level up, come on," she said leading the way back to the stairs.

"You were great tonight Gin" said Ron as they walked up the stairs side by side.

"Thanks."

"I've missed you," he said quietly, "we all have."

"I know.  And I've missed you too," she replied a little cautiously.  "How are Mum and Dad doing?"

"They're okay Gin, but it's been hard, for both of them.  I don't think, even after three years, they quite know how to deal with it.  Dad has been going to work at dawn and not coming home until late, and Mum… well, she's been worried; worried about you, worried about Harry, even worried about Hermione and me," he said with a regretful laugh.  "I think it's only little Leo and the wedding plans that are keeping her at home instead of tracking you down with Harry."

"That and the deal that he made to ensure no one came after me except himself… I think Mum respects Harry's judgement in that sense," said Ginny contemplatively.

Yeah, I agree," said Ron soberly.

They had reached the door that lead to the balcony.  Ginny pushed it open and they walked out into the cold night air.  There was a little table and chairs tucked in one corner and so they sat down and got comfortable.

"And Leo?  Does he look like a Weasley or like Penelope?" asked Ginny.

"Oh he's a Weasley alright… he's so cute," Ron laughed, "he's two, and just starting to talk, you know… like almost sentences, not just odd words here and there."

"How did they come up with the name Leo?" she asked curiously.

"Leo is just his nickname, his full name is Percival Leander Weasley, but Fred started calling him Leo which is short for Leander; we figured it would get confusing with two Percy's at some point," said Ron, "and also Leo because he was born under that star sign.  It's a muggle thing."  Ron shrugged his shoulders dismissively.

"Well, I think it's really cute," said Ginny smiling.

"Yeah…," said Ron agreeing.  "How are you holding up?" he asked gently. "You've been really quiet all night."

"I'm just…" she started before Ron butted in.

"Overwhelmed… tired… emotionally drained?" he asked sarcastically, an edginess sounding in his voice for the first time.  "Ginny that's all I've heard from you the last couple of days.  I know you better than that.  Yes, I can see that you're tired and I understand that, but all of that doesn't explain the look in your eyes," he said reaching across the table to grab her hand and making her look at him.  "It's like the lights are on and no one's home, like you're just going through the motions or something.  What happened?" he asked.

Ginny got and walked away from the table to lean heavily on the edge of the balcony, shaking her head.  "I… I can't Ron… not yet, maybe… but not right _now,_" she said annunciating each word carefully.  She began to feel unsettled, annoyed; but she couldn't let any of it out.  None of what she was feeling was Ron's fault.  And at the moment, it was none of his business either.

She turned back to him.  "We need to get back, before Harry sends out a…" she started before Emily cut in with.

"…search party?"  Ron and Ginny swung around surprised at the intrusion.

"Yeah, that's about right…" Ginny said glad for the interruption.  "Who sent you?" 

"No one, I just thought you might need rescuing!" Emily replied, "No offence Ron, but I don't know you very well yet andGinny's had a rough few weeks," said Emily.

"Week, it's _only_ been a little over a week," said Ginny before turning on Emily and asking, "What's going on between you and Fred huh?" Ginny said steering the conversation completely away from her and making Emily blush furiously.

"Umm… well I… I can hardly discuss it in front of Ron, can I?" asked Emily trying to dodge the question, "I hardly know him!"

"Okay, but you're going to tell me, right?  Then I'm going to have to tell Harry, true?"  
  
"And then Harry being my best friend is going to tell me, because we pretty much tell each other everything," said Ron joining in on the fun.  He realised that Ginny was evading _his_ questions, but he also wanted to get to know the girl who had been so protective of Ginny in his absence.  "Not _every_ detail Gin," added Ron quickly, seeing a mock-horrified look on Ginny's face.  "And you know I'm not going to keep any secrets from my future wife, so I'll probably have to tell her too…" Ron trailed off, smirking, waiting to see what Emily's reaction would be.

"Boy, you two are a pair!" said Emily to the two red heads standing side by side like true co-conspirators.  "Okay then.  Gin, remember when we told the guys about magic and Fred got all upset with me; I stormed out of the house and he followed?" she asked Ginny who nodded in reply, Ron listening avidly to what he'd missed out on before his arrival.

"Well he found me down by the stream - I was still really sore from the Cruciatus Curse Malfoy hit me with the night before… not that I would have told anyone, but he saw through the brave face I guess.  Well realising that we'd just had our first fight as friends, he apologised, and then he held out his hand like an olive branch, I took it and we walked back inside; and… oh… I don't know… it felt different, like something in our relationship had just shifted.

"You know how I've had the biggest crush on Adam, for what seems like forever?" she asked again, "well when Fred was holding my hand, and then later on at the pub when we were dancing, I couldn't remember one reason why I'd liked Adam.  It just felt right with Fred," she said smiling.

"I saw Adam tonight, did you speak to him?" asked Ginny.

"He was there?  Wow!  No he didn't come over to talk to me, how strange," said Emily looking mildly shocked that Adam hadn't talked to her.

"Maybe he didn't know you were there?" said Ginny  "Maybe you could talk to him tomorrow, after class?" she asked.

"Yeah, I might just do that," said Emily.

Whilst the girls had been talking, they had started to walk back downstairs to the girls room.  As they walked past Fred, Phil and Shane's room, Emily banged on the door. "We decided that we'd turn tonight into a pyjama party," she said to Ginny and Ron.

"What's a pyjama party?" asked Ron his mind trying to figure out what was going on, "or don't I want to know?" he asked looking genuinely worried.

"A pyjama party is a sleep-over… everyone dresses in their PJ's and camps out on the floor, telling stories, watching movies, anything really - only you're in your pyjama's," Emily finished triumphantly, smiling Ron who looked rather nervous. "They're good fun Ron.  Trust me." 

"Never trust someone who says 'trust me'," said Phil laughing as he appeared in the doorway.

"Hey!" protested Emily.

"You know it's true Em," said Shane grinning.

"Humph" was the only sound she made, before picking up a doona from the couch and walking back to her room.

"Come on, we'd better catch up with her," said Ginny "I don't have my keys on me or my wand."

~*~

Ten minutes later found Emily, Ginny, Hermione, Fred, Phil, Shane, Harry and Ron changed and making a few adjustments to the room.  With the five of them working together, it only took a few minutes to enlarge it enough to fit eight people comfortably in a circle.

"Okay," said Fred taking charge, "over the last few days you have shown us a lot of wizarding things, and now it's time to return the favour," he said smiling. " Ron, Hermione, Harry, we're not too sure how much you know about living without magic." 

"Harry and I grew up as muggles," answered Hermione.  "It's Ron and Ginny who are pureblood wizards," she said.

"Okay cool.  How much do you know about party games?" he asked again.

"Not much to be honest," said Hermione looking a little sheepish.

"Nothing," replied Harry dryly, "the Dursley's either kept me locked in the cupboard under the stairs or in Dudley's second bedroom," said Harry rolling his eyes.

"Okay then, we're going to play our version of 'Spin the bottle' and 'Truth or Dare'," said Fred.

"Sorry guys, but there is no way I'm going to kiss Harry or Ron; they're taken," protested Emily, holding her hands up laughing.

"No, no, no, listen to our rules, then decide?  Okay?" he asked.

"Okay," answered Hermione for the group.

"Okay, so there's no kissing, no dares.  When you spin the bottle, the person it lands on has to answer the question you ask, truthfully.  You only get five chances to refuse to answer, so use them well," he said waiting for a reply.

"What sort of questions?" asked Ginny, who was starting to look anxious.

"Anything you like," he replied.  

It took a few minutes before everyone agreed, Ginny jumping in first saying,

"I get to go first!" she said grabbing the bottle from Shane as he took it out of his bag, Ron snickered, thinking how Ginny always got to go first, being the youngest and only girl in their family.

She put the bottle on the floor in the middle of the circle, and turned it quickly clockwise, it spun round three times before stopping on Emily, who looked suddenly wary.

"Oh, that's so unfair, we live together, it's sooo hard to keep secrets from each other…" said Ginny thinking about how hard it had been keeping her identity from Emily.  She stopped and appeared to be thinking when she suddenly burst out with, "last week at the pub, when I sung 'Lost Without You' how did you know the words?  No one, I mean no one was supposed to know about it," she asked.

Emily, who was sitting almost directly opposite Ginny, blushed and said, "I was looking through the bin for some notes I threw out, and noticed what looked like the chorus, and I have been known to apparate into the bedroom on odd occasions when I knew you weren't home, and also I've heard you singing the words when you thought no one was home too," she replied truthfully, "sorry" she added as an afterthought.

"That's okay, Em, I'm not angry, just curious.  I didn't really get a chance to ask you after the show, and it slipped my mind until now," said Ginny.  She pointed at the bottle and said, "Your turn."

Emily leaned forward and spun the bottle, a little overzealously; it spun around at least twenty times before landing on Hermione, who was sitting to her right.

"Hermione," said Emily inquisitively, "how did you meet Harry and Ron?" she asked, as Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione snickered. 

"We first met on the Hogwarts Express, which is the train that takes students from Kings Cross in London station to Hogwarts," she said starting to explain before Ron cut in.

"You should have seen her, standing in the doorway asking _'Has anyone seen a toad, a boy named Neville's lost one'"_ said Ron mimicking Hermione's eleven year old voice.  The group laughed at Ron's antics.

"Yes, well, after the train ride, these two," she said jerking her thumb to her right where Ron and Harry were sitting, "kept teasing me because I wanted to know everything about the new world I was in," she said, pretending to sound hurt.

"Hey!" protested Harry, "I didn't tease you!  I was just as in awe as you were," he said.

"True, so I guess it was just Ron being a bloody git then," said Hermione laughing as Ron and Harry's heads whipped around, gaping at her.

"Are you guys okay?" asked Emily, whilst Hermione and Ginny were laughing at Harry and Ron's reaction.

"Hermione, you swore!" said Harry, looking slightly shocked; he had heard her swear before, but only in extreme circumstances.

"That's my girl," added Ron smiling proudly, patting Hermione on the back.

"Oh, just because I don't swear as much as you two, doesn't mean I don't," she said chuckling to herself, "anyway, Ron was being really _mean_ after a Charms lesson on Halloween, because I got the levitation spell right the first time," she said, lifting her wand and performing the spell to float the bottle, so she wouldn't have to explain what it was to the boys.

"Anyway, what he said hurt my feelings, and I spent the rest of the day in the girls bathroom.  At the feast that night, Professor Quirrell announced that there was a troll in the dungeons and the students were evacuated to their common rooms.  Luckily for me, Harry and Ron knew where I was, thanks to Neville, and came to find me.

"When they got there, they found the troll in there with me.  They fought the troll for me, Ron ironically using _'Wingardium Leviosa' _correctly for the first time.  Anyway after that we became best friends," said Hermione finally answering the question. "My turn, now," she said smiling.

Again, the bottle spun around and around, finally landing on Shane, who was sitting to the right of Ginny.

"Hmmm, Shane." she whispered to herself.  "What are you studying? And what year are you in?" she finally asked.

"I'm in third year, like Emily and these guys," he said pointing to Phil and Fred next to him, "and I'm studying Music and teaching.  When I'm finished I'll be qualified to teach Music at Primary School and Secondary College level."

"Sorry, this will probably sound a bit rude, but what do you play?" asked Hermione, "I was rather fixated on Ginny tonight, and didn't notice," she said blushing slightly.

"I play lead guitar and a little piano, Fred plays double bass and bass guitar, and Phil plays drums, guitar and piano, we all do back up vocals as well" he said smiling at her, "Hey!  That's not fair, that was three questions altogether!" he exclaimed.  "My turn!"

He flicked the bottle; it didn't even spin around once as it landed on Ginny, who noticeably gulped.

"If Harry didn't find you, would you have told us that you were a witch?" he asked, watching Ginny noticeably relax.

"Truthfully, I don't know.  I grew up knowing that it was against wizarding law to tell muggles about magic.  I really don't know," she said, "but then again, even if Harry wasn't around, Malfoy might still have attacked, and you guys would have seen it, so I guess, under those circumstances, I would have told you…" she added, "I hope that answered your question," she asked.

"That's cool, thanks," he said. "Your turn!"

Ginny spun the bottle again, watching it turn around and around, she hoped it would land on Ron or Hermione, because she had a question for them, however luck was not with her, as it landed on Emily again.

"Emily, again?" she said, "is that allowed?" she asked looking over to the boys.

"Yeah, it's bound to happen a few times I expect," said Fred.

"Emily," asked Ginny, "how on earth did you manage to hide from me that you were a witch?"

"It's funny, you know, to me you were just a muggle.  If strange things happened or I slipped up I would just ignore it.  I used the Owl Post Office to send and receive owls, for my mail, etc," she added for the boys' sake, "it actually wasn't a big deal." 

"You made mistakes?" asked Ginny.

"Yeah heaps," replied Emily.

"Like what?  When?  Can you think of one?" asked Ginny.

"Ummm… geez, that's hard, I think I've told you to wear a cloak instead of a coat a few times," said Emily trying to think of an example.

"_Really_?" she said, "I didn't notice" said Ginny, "but then again I guess I wasn't looking for it." 

"And you're a witch, so subconsciously you probably didn't notice anything odd.  Okay, my turn again…" said Emily spinning the bottle again.

~*~

A few hours later found the group still laying around talking.  They had given up on the bottle as it took too long, now they were just asking questions to whomever they wanted.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny had filled the rest of the group in on their first four and three years respectively.   Fred, Phil and Shane were amazed at the things that had happened to the trio and Ginny; they were starting to understand why Ginny hadn't told them anything about her life before coming to Melbourne - there just wasn't a way to explain any of it to muggles, and have it make any sense.

Harry was just getting to the end of his fourth year and the rise of Voldemort, when he noticed that Ginny had fallen asleep on the floor.

He stood up and moved the few feet to where she was laying, and said to Ron, "I'll take her to bed, she hardly slept last night; she was up till almost 5.00am writing a song," he explained.  Phil, Shane and Fred raised their eyebrows at this.  "Ron can you finish the story?" he said, placing his arms gently under her shoulders and knees, and lifting her up off the floor.

"Anyway, we were on the train and we got our usual visit from Malfoy…" continued Ron.

~*~

Harry carried Ginny into her room and tucked her into bed, kissing her forehead gently and whispered, "sleep tight Gin, I love you."  He sat with her for half an hour, just watching her, before joining everyone else in the lounge room.

~*~

"So how did you two get together?" Emily asked Hermione.

"It was.." started Hermione before Harry closed the door to Ginny's bedroom and interrupted with…

"No way… I have to tell it…" he said, "they have to hear it from an outsiders point of view."

"Go on then," Hermione relented; it _was_ a funny tale to hear.  She leaned over and cuddled up to Ron, smiling up to him.

"Okay picture this…" he said setting the scene.  "It was sixth year Christmas holidays - now remember, in England it's the middle of winter at Christmas.  Because of the war, a lot of families wanted their children home for the holidays, however all the Gryffindor's believed me and decided to stay at Hogwarts, as sign of loyalty I guess.  Despite what that stupid…"

"Harry… language," cautioned Hermione.

"Sorry, but please… are you telling me you can talk about Umbridge without calling her names?"

"Well…" she started.

"Professor Umbridge was our fifth year Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.  She worked for the Ministry of Magic, who didn't believe that Voldemort was back.  She spent the whole of our fifth year making us read our books, and wouldn't teach us any practical magic.  It was all theory - "

"Extremely boring," interrupted Ron.

"Not to mention the danger that we were facing the whole time," began Harry sounding indignant.  "Anyway," Harry continued more calmly, "she was awful.  But she was removed at the end of our fifth year and we never saw her again.

"Anyway, Christmas Eve a blizzard hit and we were snowed in; we had to spend all of our time indoors.  Now Hermione and Ron always bickered; I think it's a game for them now, but back then they seemed to spend more time arguing than actually talking."  He smiled to himself.  "Remember, everyone was sick to death of them fighting, we had to put up with this morning, noon and night.  It generally made our life… umm… challenging… I mean they made it hard for anyone to stay neutral.  We had to pass things from one to the other, pass along messages and act as peacemakers.

"So it was the day after Christmas, we were all sitting around the common room, Ginny and I were working on ideas for our secret defence classes.  We called ourselves Dumbledore's Army.  Anyway, we had really had enough of Ron and Hermione arguing, and this time they were arguing as to whether to play chess or study.

"Ron, we have exams coming up, we need to study," said Hermione loudly. 

_"Exams are ages away.  Why do we have to spend every second of the day down in the library?  Why can't we just enjoy the holidays?" replied Ron getting irritated._

_"Because this year is just as important as last year was.  If we don't capitalise on last year's work, then it will all be for nothing when our NEWTs come around next year, and ultimately decide what our future will be," replied Hermione angrily, standing face to face with Ron, inches apart; she might have been a good deal shorter, but Ron still quailed under her wrath._

_"I know that.  And I still don't see why we have to spend every day studying.  Why can't we just enjoy a nice, peaceful game of chess?  Why does everything have to be about work with you?  Christ!  Why don't you annoy Harry about studying as well" he shot back at her._

_Harry's head shot up from the book he was reading and glanced in their direction._

_"Because my guess is that he is already studying," said Hermione in a deadly whisper, putting her hands on her hips, glaring at Ron._

_"Harry… mate… what ya doing?" yelled Ron across the room._

_"DA stuff," he replied.  "But keep me out of this, please.  Why don't you two just give it a rest.  You're giving the rest of us a headache."_

_"Yeah Ron," began Lavender before Hermione whipped her head around at her._

_"Oh butt out Lavender, we're quite capable of resolving this ourselves," said Hermione angrily._

_"I was just going to suggest - " she tried again._

_"Lavender, don't get Hermione more worked up then she already is, please," begged Ron._

_"More worked up?" Hermione was seething. "Worked up!"_

_"Christ Hermione," tried Ron again._

_"Language Ron!" snapped Hermione._

_"See, this is what I'm talking about.  You're too tense about everything.  A little swearing isn't going to be the end of the wizarding world, at least not like Voldemort might be."_

_"I don't believe you said that!" cried Hermione, totally incensed._

_"Oh blimey!" shouted Parvati, thoroughly exasperated by this point.  "Ron, would you just kiss her and shut her up already.  That way the rest of us can actually have some peace these holidays."_

_Hermione's head swung around at Parvati and Lavender, who both just raised their eyebrows at her.  Hermione shot Lavender and Parvati a venomous glare._

_"Good idea," said Ron, real intent in his voice.  And before Hermione could react, Ron had grabbed her shoulders, turned her back to face him and kissed her.  She just stood there, glued to the spot for what felt like forever before she realised that the kiss wasn't totally unwanted._

_This came as a shock to her.  And before she could think about it any further, she realised she had started kissing him back.  Gently at first; neither remembering that they were standing in front of the whole common room.  It wasn't until everyone started cheering that they broke apart, both going multiple shades of red before fleeing to their separate dorm rooms._

_Harry turned to Ginny and said, "You go after Hermione, I'll go after Ron," they both got up and followed their friends to their rooms._

"You mean to say that you kissed her, just like that?" asked Shane in an amused tone.

"Yep, it was one of the best days of my life," said Ron smiling.  "We didn't talk for a few days after that.  Harry and Ginny ended up locking us in the third floor cleaning cupboard, charming it to alert them when we started talking again," he said laughing.  "We were in there for hours sitting on upturned buckets refusing to talk to each other.  But it was Hermione who cracked first," he said.

"I give in!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air, getting up and walking to the other side of the small cupboard.  "Why won't you speak to me?  You kissed me!  There was silence, then… "What have I done wrong?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper, sounding hurt. "Nothing.  You haven't done anything wrong, I… I… I got scared," he said quickly. 

_"What?" she asked turning to look at him._

"I… I got scared, I thought I might lose you as a friend," he said honestly. 

_"Ron," she said moving closer to sit by him and putting a hand on his knee.  "I'll always be your friend, no matter what happens.  Okay?" she said._

_"Okay… but I… I don't want to just be your friend anymore," he said reaching out and covering her hand with his, his eyes never leaving their hands._

_"Ron… Ron, please look at me," she asked gently.  He slowly moved his gaze to her face, first looking at her chin, then her lips slightly red from being nervously chewed, then up to her cute button nose and to her eyes… Her eyes… wow… her eyes were full of emotion; there was no uncertainty there._

_She watched Ron looking at her, when their eyes met she was shocked to see that he looked lost.  Before she lost her resolve, she leaned over and kissed him, softly at first, before running her tongue along the inside of his bottom lip, silently asking for permission to deepen the kiss.  They spent the rest of the time locked in the cupboard in complete silence…_

"Anyway, Ron proposed to me two years later, after we graduated…" she smiled remembering the moment for a minute "in that same cupboard" everyone laughed.

"Yeah, Ron the romantic," said Harry smiling.

"What about you Emily?  Did you spend any time locked in cupboards with boys?" asked Ron.

"Oh this should be good," teased Fred, who was sitting next to Emily, his legs stretched out in front, trying to look casual, whilst Emily shot him a cheeky grin.

"I had a few boyfriends at school, none worth mentioning.  I spent most of my time, like Hermione… studying…" she said earning herself a smile from Hermione and cheeky grins from Ron and Harry.

"When Harry's parents were killed, Remus Lupin talked mum into moving here under the Fidelius Charm.  We lived as muggles for the first five years of my life, before mum thought it was safe for us to enter the wizarding world again.

"She taught at the local muggle primary school, so when I was old enough, I started at mum's school.  We stayed as isolated from the wizarding world as possible, only using it when we needed to, but when I got my letter from Melbourne Academy of Magic," she said and pointed at her t-shirt, "mum decided that if I didn't hear the truth from her about Harry Potter and Voldemort, then I might not get the whole truth.  She told me the whole story, but she didn't tell me that she knew Harry and his parents.  Certainly not that she was best friends with them.

"So… I went to the Academy during the year, and on holidays I caught up on my muggle schooling.  I felt it was important to learn from both worlds.  I had always enjoyed the classes at primary school and was almost disappointed that I had to go to the Academy; but after I graduated at the end of seventh year, I studied for and sat the TER exams (Tertiary Entrance Ranking) so I could come and study music here.  I'm in my third and final year and will graduate in November," said Emily.

"So, how did you meet Ginny?" queried Harry.

"I met Ginny during orientation week.  She was wandering around looking lost, and when I heard her British accent, I asked her if she needed any help.  We got talking and discovered that we were doing the same course; but Ginny was doing first year, whilst I was in third year.

"Normally you room with someone from the same year as you, but we went and talked to the people in charge of room allocation and they made an exception and found us this room… and… well… I guess the rest is history." said Emily.

"Well, I'm certainly very grateful that you took her under your wing Emily," said Ron seriously.

"Not at all, she's a very special friend," replied Emily touched by Ron's compliment.  "Of course, now what I'd really like to know… is how Ginny and Harry got together."

There was silence as everyone looked towards Harry.  He sighed melodramatically and got comfy in his sleeping bag.  Everyone else settled down to hear the story.

"This should be interesting," commented Hermione her eyes watching Harry evenly, "even Ron and I don't know all the details of _this_ story."  She smiled serenely at Harry, who gave her a secret smile back.

"Well, it happened just after you and Ron kissed for the first time actually."  Harry laughed at the looks on Ron and Hermione's faces.  "We managed to hide it from you for at least a month!  It all started when Ginny and I were trying to get you two to talk to each other... we were behind Gryffindor Tower the following night…"

_"What are we going to do Harry?  I don't think I can handle a whole summer of Ron pining over Hermione again, especially if they don't make up before school finishes."_

_"Ginny that's another six months away!  This will be sorted out long before then," said Harry trying to sound encouraging._

_"That was pretty good though wasn't it?  Seeing him kiss Hermione like that!"_

_"Hmmm, it was a little weird for me actually," said Harry a little squeamishly._

_"Oh come on Harry, you know how much they like each other.  I'm just glad Parvati yelled out when she did.  I think Hermione was just about ready to slap him."_

_"I agree, but Ron can be infuriating sometimes, you have to admit," said Harry._

_"Not as infuriating as Hermione - she never relaxes at all!" replied Ginny indignantly._

_"I don't know about that.  You can't deny that he deliberately provokes her all the time."_

_"Yeah, but Hermione can be such a stick-in-the-mud too."_

_"Hermione's alright, it's Ron who's the antagonist in this," said Harry.  He felt that he had to defend Hermione in this, because he knew how much Ron pushed her buttons, and he couldn't believe that Ginny couldn't see that._

_"I think if anyone's the antagonist it's Hermione!" cried Ginny, getting worked up.  She wasn't going to stand by and just let Harry make snide comments about her brother!_

_"Hermione?  The antagonist?  Where the hell do you get that from?  She loves studying and yes, she's a little over-zealous about it, but she never deliberately antagonises him into an argument - that's Ron calling card!"_

_"I think she deliberately baits him.  She's always making him feel like he doesn't do enough work or study hard enough, which isn't very nice you know!"  Ginny knew she wasn't really making a good argument, but felt that it was her job as the only Weasley left at school to defend Ron, no matter how bad the argument._

_Harry just looked at Ginny incredulously.  "I can't believe I'm hearing this!" his voice getting louder with each word.  "Are you being deliberately obtuse, or just plain old Weasley stubborn!"_

_This was the _wrong_ thing to say to Ginny, who out of all the Weasley's, was probably the _most _stubborn of the lot.  She glared at Harry, and then before he could say another word, she'd whipped out her wand and was getting ready to hex him.  However, before she take any action, Harry reacted supremely quickly and had his wand out pointed at her chest._

_"We're not really going to duel are we Ginny?  This is getting a little bit silly isn't it?" pleaded Harry.  "Aren't we here to sort out how to get Ron and Hermione to talk to each other again?"_

_"What's the matter Harry, don't you think I could take you?" said Ginny quietly, not taking her eyes off him.  His bright green eyes were boring into hers; it was a little unnerving actually, but Ginny wasn't about to back off either.  It wasn't her style._

_"Well, I have to say that the fact that I've faced Voldemort 4 more times than you and survived, really does stand in my favour," he replied a little arrogantly.  He cringed inwardly though, listening to the words come out of his mouth.  He didn't really feel that way, he was way too modest, but he was getting mad at Ginny and his mouth had a mind of its own at the moment._

_"Ooooh, you arrogant little…"_

_"Language Ginny!  Think of what your mother would say," interrupted Harry before she could finish her sentence._

_"Oh you rotten little…" and before she could finish the sentence, Harry had swept his right foot under her feet and tripped her up, totally taking her by surprise and landing her flat on her back, knocking the wind out of her._

_She lay there stunned for a moment, but before she could react, Harry was sitting on top of her, legs on either side of her hips, preventing her from escaping and keeping her arms pinned out to the sides.  He managed to flick her wand out of the way, without giving up his advantage and looked down at her steadily, a little triumphant that he'd got the upper hand._

_But as he looked at her… his insides fluttered nervously.  He hadn't really thought this out before he'd taken action, but he realised what an intimate position they were in.  Ginny was struggling underneath him, trying to get free; Harry's skin was tingling all over and as he watched her struggle futilely - Harry was quite strong - he took in all of her features.  Her translucent skin splashed with the Weasley freckles, the long red hair; it was strawberry blonde, not as red as Ron's.  And he hadn't realised it before, but he couldn't help but notice now how slim she was because his knees were on either side of her hips and ribs and her school cloak was stretched across her chest, showing the outline of the slim figure underneath._

_Ginny, meanwhile, was half furious and half terrified.  How had this got so out of control?  And now look what had happened!  Harry had her trapped, and it was a feeling she didn't like at all.  Although Ginny had pushed her feelings for Harry aside for many years, it didn't mean they weren't still there.  They'd become friends during her fourth and Harry's fifth year, through their secret DA meetings._

_But this was too intimate, and he was looking at her in a way he hadn't before, and it was scaring her a little.  She didn't want anything to happen.  She would only get hurt.  She knew Harry didn't feel that way about her, and she'd accepted that, but it was like they could feel every part of each other in that moment.  And Harry looked… well he looked like he was seeing her for the first time.  She recognised that look because she'd seen it on Ron's face last year - when he'd realised his feelings for Hermione after she'd given him a "good luck" kiss for his first Quidditch match._

_Harry was still looking at Ginny; he wasn't sure what he was feeling, but he didn't want to stay in this position any longer.  This had started out as a Ron/Hermione thing, and it had now become something else.  He moved off Ginny and held out his hand to help her up._

_She ignored his outstretched hand and got up and brushed herself off, and shook her hair out and flung it back over her shoulder, looking a little flustered._

_"Ginny," began Harry nervously._

_Ginny just looked at him, and turned and walked away._

_But Harry wasn't going to have any of that and in an extremely brave gesture on his part, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back towards him.  Startled, Ginny stumbled and fell against Harry.  He caught her and held her steady in front of him._

_"Ginny, what's going on?  What just happened?"_

_"I think we just had an argument Harry.  Friends do have them you know," she responded sarcastically, avoiding eye contact with him._

_"Yeah, but…" Harry was at a loss for words.  This felt strange.  It was new, unchartered territory.  This wasn't what it had felt like with Cho.  This was… different.  He couldn't explain it; and wasn't sure he wanted to either.  Ginny was a really good friend, and she, Ron, Hermione and Harry were very close as a group.  He didn't want to lose that._

_"Harry…" Ginny said suddenly, coming to a snap decision and summoning up all her courage [she wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing].  It was now or never.  She knew what was going on and for the first time since she'd met Harry, she was going to be honest with him.  What did she have to lose at this point?  "Harry, how do you feel about me?"_

_"Gin -" Harry started to protest._

_"Just answer the question Harry.  I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable, I just, once and for all, would like to know."_

_Ginny stood in front of him, trembling with nerves.  She hadn't really thought this through; what would happen if he didn't feel the same way?  What would she do?  She pushed the negative thoughts down and looked Harry in the eye.  And when she did, she froze.  His eyes had always been so beautiful.  She knew he didn't realise it how captivating his eyes could be; and that's what was amazing.  He didn't think of himself in that way.  She knew he didn't think he was good looking or anyone special.  And that was what was attractive about Harry - he was so unassuming about himself._

_Harry was standing there looking somewhat lost.  Like he wanted Sirius to come and rescue him.  When she got no reply, she just smiled at him, which just seemed to make even more nervous._

_Ginny was nothing if not gutsy.  She made the first move.  Harry's hands were still on the sides of her arms.  He'd forgotten to let go; in fact didn't seem to notice that he was still holding her.  She moved a step closer, so that their bodies were almost touching, her gaze never leaving his face._

_Harry couldn't look away.  Her eyes were like dark pools of rich dark chocolate.  He was mesmerised.  He watched her move a step closer to him.  Her arms tentatively reached out to touch him, and then, on tiptoe, she reached up and kissed him._

_Harry didn't move.  In fact all he could do was wait for her lips to touch his, and then he kissed her back…_

"And just what sort of kiss was it?" asked Emily dying of curiosity.

"None of your business!" exclaimed Harry mock-defensively.  "I've gotta have some secrets don't I?"

"Well, at least you've got the perfect argument every time Ron goes all 'big brother' on you," said Emily.

"What's that?" asked Ron.

"Well, if you hadn't kissed Hermione that night, then Harry and Ginny would never have had to have a secret meeting to figure out a way to get you two talking again, and they would never have had a fight, Ginny wouldn't have plucked up the courage to kiss Harry, and we might not even be here at this very moment," supplied Emily quite logically.

"Blimey, you are Hermione really are twins aren't you?  That was so logical it's scary," cried Ron.

"Actually, I've never thought of it like that before," said Harry quietly.  "It's amazing how one event can trigger so many others… you know, like ripples on a lake."

"Harry, you're getting quite eloquent as you get older," came a voice from the bedroom doorway.

"Ginny, what are you doing up?  You should be asleep, resting."  Harry got up and crossed to the doorway, his hand going automatically to cup her face lovingly.

"I can't stop thinking about… can you come and hold me… I need you near," whispered Ginny so quietly that no one else could hear her but Harry.

"Okay, I'll be there in just a moment," Harry said swiftly.

Ginny turned and went back to bed.

"Well everyone, I would love to stay up with you all night and chat, but I'm going to bed," said Harry hoping no one would question him further.  "Is that okay Emily, I know it's your bedroom too."  He looked a little nervous.

"It's fine Harry, you're welcome to the bedroom.  Put a charm on it, if we keep you two awake," suggested Emily caringly.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," said Harry.  He was about to do it anyway, just in case Ginny woke up during the night.  "Thanks Em, night everyone."  Harry shut the door and crossed over to Ginny.

~*~

"It's so quiet," commented Sirius as they apparated into Anne's kitchen.  "Is it always this quiet?"

"Yes, it's very peaceful here; one of the reasons I bought in this area.  But it's also quiet because I don't have eight youngsters camping overnight unexpectedly," Anne remarked wryly.  "But tonight it will be just the two of us, and thank goodness because I was really looking forward to not having to sneak out of my own house just to grab an opportunity to really kiss you thoroughly."

In the darkened kitchen Anne could see Sirius's eyes widen in surprise, before she stepped in closer and captured his lips with her own.  All time stopped for a moment, until Sirius remembered Harry's request.

"Mmm, Anne?" Sirius managed between kisses.

"Yeah?"

"I've got to ask you something important, it's about Harry and Ginny," Sirius said, noting, with suppressed glee, the disappointed look on Anne's face as he pulled away from her.

"Oh.  Is everything okay?" asked Anne moving from disappointed to concerned in a heartbeat.

"Yeah, but I've got a favour to ask of you."  Sirius looked expectantly at Anne.

She waited for him to continue.

"Harry wants to ask Ginny to marry him, and," pressing his fingers against Anne's lips to stop the excited utterances that she was about to issue, "he wants to get Lily's engagement ring from his Gringotts vault, but he doesn't want to wait until they get home – whenever that will be – he wants to do it as soon as possible, and I was just wondering if there was any possible way you could use your connections at the MLES to get permission to create a portkey for him to get there and back, without him having to go through regular channels to book one; he really doesn't know when he'll be able to go, so it's got to be ready for spur of the moment travel,"  Sirius paused, a little breathless, and then added, "but you can't tell any of the kids about it, obviously.  Harry knows I'm asking you a favour, but he doesn't know what the favour is, although being an Auror, he'll figure out where you work in a few seconds, once we tell him what the plan is."

Anne kissed Sirius's fingertips that were still placed against her lips, pulled them away gently, and just before she kissed him, she whispered against his lips seductively, "of course," before kissing him again properly and moving off into the lounge room.

"What are you doing?" asked Sirius.  He assumed she would be going to bed now.  Not that he was making _those_ kinds of assumptions, but he knew Anne was pretty tired after such a hectic couple of days.

"Sorry to be a spoilsport, but I've got some prep work to do for my classes tomorrow."

Sirius looked confused.

"Sirius, you do realise that I have a muggle teaching degree don't you and I actually do teach muggle children?"  He shook his head.  "Yeah.  That's why Emily is at a muggle university now.  She caught that learning bug from me.  I enrolled not long after we arrived in Australia and once I had finished the degree and was settled into teaching as a career, I made contact with the Ministry of Magic here in Melbourne to let them know I was interested in working for the MLES, and the rest, as they say is history."

Sirius was gaping at Anne.  He honestly hadn't given it much thought since he'd arrived.  There hadn't really been a lot of 'get to know you' time.  Things had been quite intense since Malfoy's arrival on the scene.

Anne laughed at the look on Sirius's face.  "It's okay, it shouldn't take me long.  I do this most Sunday evenings, or Friday evenings, depending on how I feel at the end of the week.  It should only take an hour or two."

Sirius hesitated.  Was she trying to get rid of him?  Should he offer to stay up and help?  He wasn't sure which way to go, but decided quickly on the latter.

"Do you want a hand with anything?" he offered.

Anne looked at him carefully, trying to gauge if he was serious or not.  He appeared to be, his blue eyes intense and serious, so she suggested, "well, I know what I've got to do, and I'm really the only one who can do it."  Sirius looked downcast at this.  "But," she continued reaching out to grab his hand with her own, "I'd love some company whilst I do it.  You're more than welcome to stay with me."

"Sure," replied Sirius, squeezing her hand affectionately.

They spent the next couple of hours side by side; Sirius fetching whatever Anne needed.  He got her drinks, helped to write out notes for class.  At one point he went into the kitchen to put together a really late supper and when he returned to the lounge room five minutes later, he found Anne asleep on the couch, sitting up, with her feet curled beside her.  Out like a light.

Sirius extinguished the candles in the lounge room with a wave of his wand, so that only the light from the clear night sky was filtering through the windows.  He put the tray he was carrying quietly on the table, sat down cautiously beside her, gathered her up in his arms and then leant back carefully on his side, so that they were both lying down on the couch together.  He got comfortable, making sure not to disturb Anne at all, and relaxed, falling asleep in a few minutes.

~*~

It wasn't long after Harry went to bed that everyone else stopped asking questions and they all drifted off to sleep.  Ron and Hermione holding hands in their sleep; Fred and Emily curled up side by side, with Fred's arm flung around Emily's waist.

It was a quiet group that slept on until noon the next day.


	17. Repeat Proformance

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Authors Notes: This chapter has gone up in rating, THIS CHAPTER IS RATED 'R' so anyone to young, should skip over the part highlighted by ****** 's

Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out… however, we wont be updating here as often as we would like to, you can find the chapters as they are updated at either my Yahoo Group or www . ginnypotter . com under the user name of Alex81 – chapter 18 has just been uploaded… thanks, and I hope to see you at GP.com… :) ~ Carolyn & Rhiain

~*~

Chapter 17

Repeat Performance

~*~

Sunday night - after the gig… 

Adam incanted the spell that would let him into Draco's place.  He walked through the house looking for him.

"Malfoy!  Are you here?  God this place is huge," muttered Adam grumpily.  Where the hell was he?  They had agreed to meet here after the gig had finished.

Despite the fact that Adam was helping to plot Ginny and Harry's demise, it had been a good show; although her song dedication to him at the beginning of the night had nauseated Adam.  What a load of crap!  But he had achieved what he set out to do for the evening, and that was to make contact with Ginny and let her see that he was still around.  Adam smirked maliciously.  He felt a thrill when he thought of what they were about to do.  They would never see it coming.

Whilst he was waiting for Malfoy, Adam did some work on his own.  He pulled his wand and spoke an incantation that no one in the wizarding world had ever heard and would _never_ learn.  He waited.

Although there were candles and lights on, the lights slowly went out; the temperature of the room dropped to almost freezing and evil pervaded the room.  Nothing else in existence would ever have quite the same effect as this creature.  This abomination.  And yet it was damn handy to have around and it was totally under Adam's control.  It was the only one in existence now and only Adam had the knowledge, and therefore the power, to control it.

Adam heard footsteps and then Malfoy entered the room, and froze.

"Come in Malfoy.  It won't hurt you."

Draco walked into the room hesitantly, skirting around the creature at a safe distance.  "How the hell…?!"

"A weapon.  A secret weapon is always handy to have don't you think?"  Adam's voice dripped with pleasantness, but a darker emotion was thinly veiled beneath the bland smile.

"What are you going to use it for?" remarked Draco, trying to show a bravado he wasn't really feeling.

"Not sure yet.  I just thought I'd summon it here.  It's good summoning practice if nothing else.  It requires enormous reserves of magical energy to summon and it leaves us vulnerable while it's here," remarked Adam.  "but I'll only use it as a last resort."  He said the counter spell and seconds later the creature had disappeared, the room brightened and the temperature rose.

"Vulnerable how?" demanded Draco.

"Just a momentary weakness, we'll worry about it later," replied Adam.

"So why isn't **_it _**affecting us?" asked Draco.

"Because when I created it, I made sure that I was the one holding its power, and not the other way around.  It will unleash itself, but only when I allow it to."

"Hmmm," mused Malfoy impressed, "so did you see them?" asked Malfoy impatiently, getting straight to the point.

"Yeah, I said hello to Ginny," smirked Adam.

"Well, I spent the day checking out their school schedules, so we'll be able to keep an eye on them easily enough," reported Malfoy.  "I still don't know where they disappeared to on Friday night though."

"Well, let me clear that up for you," said Adam facing Malfoy from the fireplace.  "They were at Emily's mum's place.  In the country.  I don't know where exactly."

"All we have to do is track them next time they disapparate.  I want them to _think_ they have a safe-house somewhere.  I want them to _think_ they have a haven they can run away to," finished Malfoy, tossing his blond head arrogantly.

"Smart thinking.  I'll leave that up to you.  Just don't let them know you're there."

"Of course not.  That's what invisibility cloaks are for," Malfoy replied arrogantly.  "Now let's get organised."

~*~

As the sun crept over the horizon, Anne's house was as quiet as a mouse.  The morning dawn light crept through the lounge room windows.  Ruby and Hedwig were asleep in their cage.  Anne and Sirius were asleep on the couch.

Sirius opened his eyes slowly, blinking as the first rays of morning woke him.  As his eyes took in his surroundings, he remembered where he was… on the couch, with Anne asleep in his arms.  She was curled alongside him, fitting perfectly against his body.  He let out a gentle sigh and moved to a more comfortable position, wincing as his muscles protested against any movement.

She looked angelic.  He studied her form closely.  The years had been kind, and in the morning light, she hardly looked a day older then when he'd last seen her in England all those years ago.  Her auburn hair fell to just past her shoulders, thick and wavy.  Her eyes, although closed, were hazel and seemed to change colour, and although she wasn't a young girl anymore, her figure was slim, which suited her stature; she only came up to his chin. He smiled at that.  But part of his mind still struggled with the memory of Trevor, and the other part argued that that was a long time ago, and not to worry about it.  Anne obviously wasn't… and yet…

She moved and turned over towards him.  He lifted his arm that had been around her waist, so as not to disturb her at all.  She snuggled into his arms, like they'd always been lov…

Hang on!

Sirius caught himself before he could even think the thought.  He shut his eyes and tried to force those intimate images away from behind his eyelids.  Anne sighed.

He was definitely going to have a talk with Remus next time he saw him.  He could have at least told him who he was being sent to!  _Would that have changed anything_ his conscience asked him?  Maybe not, but at least he would have been a little more prepared, mentally.  _Oh as if that would have done you any good_ was the next thought that popped into his brain.  Sirius acknowledged this to himself.  If he were really honest, he thought to himself, looking out through the lounge room windows, he hadn't stood a chance since…

"Morning Sirius."

Sirius moved his gaze from the window to look down at Anne, who was smiling up at him sleepily.  "How did we get here?" she asked.

"Well, I went to get you some food and something else to drink and by the time I got back to you, you were asleep all over your school work.  You really should be more prepared you know, what will your students think today?"  He was being cheeky, but he was also trying to keep things light, given the intimate position they were in.

"Oh, and so you just…"

"I didn't want to disturb you," finished Sirius a little lamely, not looking at Anne, which was difficult to do, given their proximity to each other.

"Well, you certainly didn't disturb me, not in the slightest," commented Anne innocently, her eyes wide and questioning.

"It's still pretty early, why don't you go on up to bed and get some more sleep.  You don't have to be at work for a couple of hours."

"That's a good idea actually," said Anne agilely rolling off the couch and stretching her body out.

Sirius just watched – watched every sinuous movement she made, not taking his eyes off her.

"Are you coming?" a voice permeated his hazy brain.

"Huh?" asked Sirius.  He blushed at being caught staring; Anne didn't seem to mind though.

Anne just took his hand and pulled him off the couch, pulled him into her embrace in one fluid movement and before he could respond properly, she was kissing him.  Kissing him senseless.  She knew that in some ways none of this made sense, but for the first time in her life, she was ignoring her brain and following her heart.  As she let him go, she turned and walked out of the lounge room and they walked up the stairs together.

As they climbed the stairs, Sirius's mind was in a whirl of tension _and _anticipation.  He didn't want to assume anything.  He was fully prepared to go to sleep in his room.  He was just thinking this when Anne kept walking past his room, still leading him by the hand, and went to her bedroom a little further down the hall.  She opened it and walked inside.  Sirius paused on the threshold, letting her hand go.

"Sirius?" asked Anne turning back to see him standing awkwardly in the doorway, his hands thrust into his jean pockets.  She paused for a moment, taking this opportunity to use her brain for just a moment, to analyse what was happening; her brain skimmed over the details of the past.

When Anne had met Trevor, he had been so different to Sirius and that was what had attracted her to him, initially – she'd wanted to get away from Sirius and her feelings for him and Trevor had been a great distraction; and eventually that distraction had evolved into a lifetime commitment to each other.  A life that had been cut short by Voldemort.  Trevor had been a wonderful husband - he would have been a great father to Emily.

And now here was Sirius.  Fate had brought them together again, and maybe this was how it was meant to be.  He was a complex man, to be sure.  There was a darkness to him that would probably always be there – and that wasn't his fault.  Peter and Azkaban had done that to him.  They'd stolen twelve years of his life.  And Voldemort had stolen his best friends before he'd had the chance to do anything to save them.  She knew he wasn't perfect.  But then who was?  Anne had faced her own demons over the years, bringing up a child by herself in a strange country; it had been hard.

And yet Anne could see so many wonderful things about Sirius that made up for the darkness in his past.  She could see how much he cared about Harry, Ron, Hermione… all of them.  He'd already shown his true colours; that he was caring, protective, had a strong sense of honour, integrity - and she knew in her heart that Trevor would approve.  And it seemed as though Emily approved too, which was also important.

Sirius was still standing in the doorway, unsure, nervous; Anne could understand that.  She was nervous too.  It had been too long – for both of them.  She didn't say a word.  She just moved towards him, took his hand and pulled him gently into her room.

"It's okay Sirius," said Anne gently, as she looked up into his bright blue eyes.  They were piercing, so intense; she loved them, especially when they were in a face that was so handsome and cute.  She knew he'd hate being called cute, but he was.  He was such a gentleman, and she knew he was holding back – and didn't blame him one bit; she knew exactly how he felt.

She placed a gentle hand on the side of his face and kissed him ever so gently.  Her breath caught as his tongue slid tentatively into her mouth, seeking, wanting.  In moments it was as if a fuse had been lit.

Their tongues darted, explored feverishly.  Sirius pulled back slightly to look Anne deeply in the eyes, one hand gently holding her head, the other placed tentatively at her neck.

Anne was trembling; this felt so good, so right.  She nodded ever so slightly, and at this sign Sirius's hand slid gently down her neck, to her collarbone, touching the exposed flesh lightly.  He moved in and captured her lips with his own.  It was like air; and he needed it like he'd never needed anything else in his life.  Without even realising what he was doing, Sirius gently moved Anne further into the room, edging closer to the bed with every kiss.  His lips trailed a blazing path from her ear to her neck, to her collarbone and with his hands supporting her body, he tipped them gently back onto the bed, as if they'd done this thousands of times before.

Their hands explored each other shyly, neither of them sure of how far they would go, but neither of them wanting to stop.  Sirius lips found their way back to Anne's mouth again, and he kissed her passionately, wanting to savour every second they had.  He kissed his way across her cheek to her other ear, nipping the lower lobe gently, gathering her as close to him as he could.

This was like riding a bike; you never forgot how… he slid his hand to the edge of her shirt and gently, one by one, undid the buttons and pulled the fabric out of the way so his hands could continue to explore her body more intimately.  He wanted… everything.  He didn't ever remember feeling like this before.  He wanted to devour her.

And Anne was matching every caress of Sirius's with equal abandon.  As he undid her shirt, his lips never left her, but she was busy exploring every crevice that her hands and lips could reach.  She didn't know what he did to keep in shape, but she loved the feel of his bare shoulders, the muscles, as they rippled whilst exploring her body.  He was unbuttoning her shirt with deliberate slowness, kissing each millimetre of exposed flesh as he gently, but insistently, began to undress her.

Anne's breath caught as his lips moved inexorably down her stomach, his fingers moving intimately; cupping her breasts as if savouring the feel of them.  He lifted himself off her body and straddled her, his blue eyes aflame with desire, his breathing was ragged and shallow.  Anne's hands reached up to his chest and wandered all over, exploring every millimetre, coming to rest at the waistband of his jeans.  She looked into his eyes and was thrilled with the unbridled look of passion on his face - that she could make him feel this way was a powerful feeling.

It wasn't long before all their outer clothes were lying in a heap next to them on the ground, forgotten – just the bare essentials left.

Sirius wondered momentarily if they would ever stop; he respected her too much to go where she wasn't ready to lead him.  Her lips were like warm liquid, caressing his shoulders, his chest; he was quickly losing all sense of reason and although he was restraining himself from ripping the last shreds of their clothing off, he didn't want this to stop.  He was drowning in her, and he suspected she knew it.

Their lips met again, fusing with heat, all restraint gone.  It was like they'd become a lifeline for each other.  There was only this passion; here and now.  Nothing else mattered, expect each other.  Sirius wanted more and as his hands sought out every intimate crevice of her body, she offered no resistance.

Soon the only clothing that remained was a necklace and a wrist watch.  Their bodies fusing, burning, as they explored each other; it was all new and yet it was like discovering something they'd both lost.  As their feelings gave way to mounting passion, they melded; male and female fitting perfectly together.  It was like coming home; their bodies moving urgently until they came as one, their muffled cries heard only by the birds in the trees.

~*~

Later that week… Friday night 

It had been a hectic week, Harry thought to himself.  Between keeping an eye on Ginny, sightseeing with Ron, Hermione [and occasionally Sirius], it had been tiring trying to track down Malfoy.

They had put protective wards around Anne's home, the pub and the dorm where Ginny, Emily and the boys lived.  Apart from Anne's place, which would already be on the wizard radar, so to speak, the muggle areas that they all frequented, the pub, the dorm and the coffee shop where Emily and Ginny worked, were now linked to the MLES in the Ministry and if any dark magic was performed in these areas, the MLES's Dark Detectors would be alerted immediately.

They couldn't put wards over the university where Ginny went to school; the area was far too large, and with only a handful of people in danger, it just wasn't feasible.  But Ginny had started keeping her wand with her again, and so had Emily.  They were as protected as they could be under the circumstances.

It made Harry nervous.

It made him realise how secure Hogwarts had been for them, for seven years.  And he knew what it took to protect Hogwarts from intruders, which was why they couldn't utilise the same resources for the university.  It took many, many wizards and witches to harness that sort of power, and given the level of the threat, it just wasn't a good bargaining chip with the local Ministry.

Also, Sirius had disappeared on him a few times that week, not explaining where he'd gone; but Harry trusted Sirius with his life, so anything he was doing was probably only in an effort to help Harry, Ron and Hermione's attempts to find out what the hell Malfoy was up to.

They had done some sightseeing, but also spent a lot of time investigating as much as they could.  Their only real chance to get Malfoy was to try and figure out in advance what he might be up to - apart from trying to kill Harry of course.  There had been no more surprise attacks like the first one, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened, but neither Harry, Ron nor Sirius believed Malfoy was gone.  He was obviously biding his time; so trying to figure out when and where he might strike was their only place to start from.  And they had no idea how much Malfoy knew, or if he had any contacts here, so they were investigating blindly.

Harry hated it.

He hated not being in control in a situation like this.  Everything was stacked against them.  And despite their investigations, they hadn't turned up anything useful, and their enquiries to the MLES at the Ministry of Magic in Tin Pan Alley hadn't turned up anything either.

Harry shook his head to clear it.  This was Ron and Hermione's last night in Melbourne, and they were due to take a portkey home later that night after the gig.  They didn't want to go, but Ron felt that he could help from London, and Hermione agreed.  They might even let him come back if the Ministry knew the situation in Australia, but only a trip home would reveal if this would happen or not…

"Here you go Harry," said Joe, the barman, putting a bevy of drinks in front of Harry.

"Thanks Joe," replied Harry, "I'll have to make two trips.  I'll be back in a sec."  Harry smiled at Joe and wound his way around the bar to the tables at the back, where it was dark.  He'd got to know Joe last Sunday whilst he'd sat at the bar gazing at Ginny for two hours.  He smiled to himself.  He had to admit that even _he_ thought he'd been pretty sappy that night.  He sighed.  He couldn't help it though, not where Ginny was concerned anyway.

"Here you go Anne, Emily, Sirius, Ron.  I'll just go get the rest.  Wish I could just summon them over here, but I guess that would probably give the game away, wouldn't it?"

"Yes I'm sure it would," commented Sirius wryly, his eyes sweeping the room.

Although it had been a good week in some respects, none of them had really been able to relax.  Hermione and Ron were supposed to be going home rested, and that wasn't really the case.

Apart from the boys and Emily, the rest of them had sat down the night before to decide what Ron and Hermione should and shouldn't say when they returned.  Ron had told Harry that Mr Weasley knew what was going on.  Ginny reacted badly to _that_ bit of news, but Harry calmed her down.

"I didn't say anything Ginny, I promise."  Ron had defended hotly. "Remember we came out here on a hunch, and despite the story we told Mum, Dad just filled in the blanks for himself.  He's quite smart you know."

Ginny had sighed huffily and calmed down - a little.  It wasn't that she had been mad with Ron, it was more that she didn't want to deal with the rest of her family just yet.  She couldn't.  She didn't have any strength left at the moment.

So in the end it was decided that Ron and Hermione would only tell Mr Weasley and Amos Diggory; and they had to be sworn to silence.  After them, only the people who were directly helping Ron needed to know about Ginny and what had happened.  Nothing was to get back to Mrs Weasley.  Not yet anyway.  Having an anxious, over-protective Molly in Australia would only make the situation more dangerous.

Harry collected the rest of the drinks and went back to the table, took a seat and tried to relax.  His gaze swept the room, searching for signs of danger.  It was a habit, and one he really couldn't break either.  He just didn't trust Malfoy not to try anything, even in a public forum.

And to top it all off, he was rather distracted by the fact that he'd be going home during the evening, after an absence of almost three years.  He hadn't given it much thought during the week.  He'd let Sirius make the arrangements, and he was keeping them secret until just before Harry left.  Harry didn't know how he'd managed to organise this trip home, but he had; and Harry was going as soon as he'd touched base with Ginny in between sets.

"Thanks Harry, this is just what I needed," remarked Hermione smiling.  She had a Bacardi Chaser, a muggle drink she'd become accustomed to drinking during the week, and was sipping it almost reverently.  "Ahhh, this is gorgeous.  It's just so refreshing, not butterbeer, but lovely nonetheless.  We haven't been in to Tin Pan Alley for a butterbeer since the start of the week."

"I know, but it was all part of my plan to keep you and Ron busy," joked Harry a little wryly.

"That's an understatement," said Ron, grinning, "although I wish we had more of an idea what Malfoy was up to.  We didn't really achieve much this week, did we?"

"Well, maybe the Ministry back home will have an idea of what's going on.  Let's keep our fingers crossed."

They all fell silent as the lights came down and BeWITCHing Evil stepped out on stage to loud raucous applause.

~*~

The backstage door burst open and Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Emily and Anne bustled down the hallway to the main change room, coming in all talking and chatting at the same time, smiling, happy, carefree.

"Harry!" cried Ginny, as Harry came through the door.  She leapt up and ran to him, squealing with surprise as he grabbed her by the waist and whirled her around and around.  She wound her legs around his waist and kissed him slowly, lovingly, whilst being crushed to his body.

"Eh!  Get a room please, that's disgusting," cried out Ron in protest.

"Oh, like you and Hermione haven't done this in public before," protested Ginny.

"Actually, we…" started Ron.

"Ron, stop before you say something you'll really regret," interrupted Hermione, silencing him with a look.

Everyone laughed.  Harry let Ginny down on the ground again and just held her close, his arms wrapped around her.  She clung to him tightly, burying her head in his shoulder.

"Gin, can I talk to you for a moment," began Harry quietly, "in private?"

"Of course, is anything wrong?" asked Ginny, lifting her head, instantly on guard.

"No, nothing's wrong," replied Harry reassuringly.  "Can we go to the other change room?"

"Yeah," said Ginny.  Then turning to everyone else, "we'll be back in a minute okay?"

Everyone waved them out of the room, not really worried, as they were all chattering away themselves.

As they closed the door behind them, Ginny put her arm around his waist and lent her head on his shoulder as they walked down the hallway to Ginny's own change room.  Once inside, they indulged themselves in a long, passionate kiss.  Harry was trying to take it slowly; but honestly, Ginny just got him hot and bothered every time.

They had slept together every night since he'd found her, despite what she'd revealed to him on Sunday.  She seemed to need him close by.  And he was happy just to lie next to her every night and guard her dreams.  She'd woken up a few times in terror – probably the verbalising had re-awakened the memories – and Harry knew she'd been grateful to have him hold her, soothe her fears and rock her gently until she stopped crying and went back to sleep again.

For Ginny, it had been a strange week.  With the revealing of her rape to Harry, it had, for a couple of days, put a little strain on their relationship.  It was like they were establishing intimate boundaries with each other all over again.  It was weird.  And yet Harry had been so careful not to cross any boundaries that she wasn't comfortable with, and at the same time Ginny was trying to get past the fear that had brought all this to a head in the first place, so that they could continue on as normal.

It was hard.

On one hand her brain and heart knew she could trust Harry, and yet physiologically, her body remembered the feelings of violation she'd suffered at the hands of her attacker.  She'd told Harry that she didn't quite remember the rape - and yet he had touched her physically in a couple of ways this week, very innocent gestures, that had triggered panic attacks without warning.  And even if she'd been semi-conscious during the rape, her sub-conscious mind remembered everything when she was asleep – in horrifying detail.  Even if she still had trouble sleeping, she was still working on herself when she was awake.  She wished she could just Memory Charm it away, but that charm only worked right after the fact, not months and months afterwards, not without wiping out every single memory of the past seven months at the same time.

Harry pulled away from Ginny gently, framing her face with his hands, his startling green eyes boring deeply into hers, questioning.

"I'm fine Harry, "Ginny whispered, "really, I'm fine."

"Sure?"  Harry was so worried about her.  His brain was still grappling with the knowledge of her rape.  He hadn't really slept well since Sunday; his brain inventing images to torture himself with at night; images that not even Occlumency had been able to dissolve.

"Yes.  Now you brought me in here to tell me something," Ginny reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah," began Harry.  "I just wanted to let you know that I've got to pop out for about an hour, and so I won't get to see the rest of your set."

"Why?  Where are you going?" asked Ginny.

"I've just got an errand to run and then I'll be back.  I just didn't want you to worry, in case I run a little late and I'm not here when you finish."

"But what about Ron and Hermione?  They're leaving just after the gig finishes."

"I know, and I'll be back before they leave, don't worry."  Ginny was looking a little panicked.  Another repercussion from her revelation this week was that she had lost some of her confidence, become a little clingy and had been more emotional than usual.  He didn't think anyone else had noticed.  He hoped not.  Telling him seemed to have released a block she'd had in regards to the rape; but only he knew and that's the way it was going to stay.

He sat down on a chair and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her nose and forehead reverently.  She was like a precious diamond.

Ginny clung to him.  "I know I'm being a bit irrational, but I just… I don't know…" Ginny faltered.

"Feel vulnerable?" ventured Harry tentatively.

Ginny was silent for a moment.

"Yes," came a whisper that he could hardly hear.  "It's like… now I've told you, I don't have control over my emotions anymore.  It's ridiculous."

"This is going to take some Ginny.  You've got to be easy on yourself.  It's a process that you've got to work through."  Harry visibly cringed and looked away.  "Boy, I sound like a muggle psychologist and I'm hardly qualified to speak on this stuff given my history."  He looked back at Ginny tenderly.  "I know I've spent a lot of years keeping stuff to myself, but this is a little different."  He paused for a moment. "You're going to be fine Ginny.  You are the strongest woman I know.  You've survived and that's a victory.  Remember?  You told me that a long time ago."

"Well then it must be true; of course I might have just been trying to seduce you," Ginny said brightening a little and teasing him.

"Well, it definitely worked didn't it?" smiled Harry.  He kissed her once more and displaced her from his lap.  "We should get going.  Ron'll send a search party after us in a minute."  They laughed quietly together and then returned to the main room.

When they entered everyone was lounging around relaxing, and talking a mile to a dozen.

"It's about time you got back, we've got to go Grace," said Fred tickling Emily.  She squealed and jumped up his lap.

"Not fair," she said punching him lightly on the arm.

"C'mon, let's go," said Shane, getting up and walking to the open door.

"Oh hang on a sec," said Ginny, "I've just got to re-do my lippy.  I'll be there in just a sec."  Ginny raced out of the room and down the hallway to her change room.

"C'mon, let's get back out front again," urged Anne.

Everyone made their way out up the hallway to the backstage door again.  Emily lingered behind with Fred.  They'd had a great week this week.  Once they'd got over their initial shyness and discovery of how they felt about each other, it had been a week of 'get to know you'.  They'd been friends for a long time, but this was different.  They'd had lunch together on campus, held hands, kissed [lots] and had a good time getting to know each other – on a romantic level.

Fred had his arm slung around Emily's shoulders.  He gave them a squeeze and gave her a smacking kiss on the forehead.

"Why don't you go and hurry Ginny up," said Fred, his gaze roving all over Emily's outfit, finally reaching her eyes.  "Has anyone told you, you look really hot tonight?"  He was grinning madly.

"Actually plenty, but I don't enjoy kissing them as much as I enjoy kissing you," said Emily cheekily, moving in for a kiss before he could formulate a response.  "We'll be right behind you," said Emily as she left his embrace and headed off back down the corridor again.

~*~

Once they were back at their table [reserved for them by the pub, as special guests of the band], Harry brought Ron and Hermione up to speed on what he was doing.

"I'll be back before you leave, don't worry.  This should only take me half an hour, hour at the most."  
  


"Geez Harry, couldn't you have done this during the week?" asked Ron.

"Ron, it's not like he's had any free time you know," Hermione interjected.

"C'mon Harry, I'll walk you out," prompted Sirius, knowing the timeframe was rather tight.

Sirius and Harry walked off to the front door of the pub, Sirius nodding discreetly to Anne as he went.  When they got outside, they walked around the corner to where it was dark and no one from the street could see them.

"So, what were you able to organise?" asked Harry.  Sirius had told him nothing all week.

Sirius reached into the overcoat he was wearing and pulled out a fork.  "I was able to get a portkey authorised for this trip.  It works both ways.  You know how to operate it don't you?"

Harry rolled his eyes.  "Of course.  Is this what you organised with Anne's help?"

"Yes, and we've done it on the quiet.  Only a few people know about it."

"Who?  I thought this was supposed to be kept a secret Sirius," said Harry worriedly.

"It is, don't worry."

"How did Anne manage this?  I mean she's a primary school teacher.  What connections does she have?  Only the Portkey Office of the Ministry of Magic can… ohhhh," Harry suddenly realised the truth of the situation.  "She works for the Ministry, doesn't she?  The teaching job is just a cover, right?"

"Yes it is.  It's a cover for her job with the MLES actually.  I knew you'd figure it out, being an Auror, but you must keep this secret.  Even Emily doesn't know what Anne does.  Now she knows your secret and you know hers.  And I know you'll keep it to yourself.  Not even Ginny, Ron or Hermione must know.  Alright?"  Sirius was looking at Harry earnestly.  His piercing blue eyes shining even in the dark.

"Of course, but… wow!  A secret job.  That's kind of cool actually,' remarked Harry grinning widely.

"Hmm," began Sirius.

"So what other secrets does she have that Emily doesn't know about?"

"Well, you should probably know everything, seeing as though she's your godmother.  She also works for the Department of Mysteries.  She's the creative link between the two.  It's a unique position actually."

Harry was impressed.  He had _two_ godparents who were totally cool now, not just Sirius.

"Okay, you'd better get going.  Do you know where you're going to portkey to?"

"Yeah, I'm going to arrive directly outside of Gringotts."

"What if you're seen and someone reports it?"

"Well," said Harry transfiguring his long jacket into a traditional wizard cloak, "this should help, don't you think?"

"Good.  Now just get the ring and come straight back.  You know how much everyone will worry if you're not back when you say you're going to be, including Anne and myself."

"I know."  And with that Harry activated the portkey, concentrating on where he wanted to end up.  _"Portus_.  I'll be back as soon as I can. Promise."  On the count of three, Harry felt the familiar tugging sensation near his navel and he was gone.

~*~

Ginny raced down to her change room.  She'd been so busy concentrating on Harry that she hadn't done what she'd begun doing between sets, and touch up her lipstick.

She was just getting the lipstick out of her shoulder bag, when she glanced up in the mirror and saw Draco Malfoy in the doorway - and froze.  She didn't have her wand with her, she never did when she performed.  There was nowhere to put it.

She turned around and before she could react…

_"Stupefy!"_ said Draco in a bored manner.  Good grief, this was too easy!  He left Ginny crumpled up on the floor and strode across the room to the mirror and using her lipstick, left a message.  He went back to Ginny, made sure she was touching the portkey he'd created, and seconds later they were gone.

~*~

Emily rounded the corner which led to the change rooms.  She walked in to Ginny's room and there was no one there.  _That's odd_, she thought to herself.  She checked the larger room, even though she'd already glanced in as she'd walked past; no Ginny.  _Probably in the bathroom _mused Emily.  Ever since Ginny had been making an effort to dress more appropriately for her gigs, she'd gotten way more conscious of how she looked before she went on stage.  And not because she was vain, but because she always a little nervous and unsure.

"Ginny?" Emily called out as she knocked on the bathroom door.  There was no answer.  She pushed the door open and checked under the stalls.  "Where is she?"  Emily suddenly got scared.  She raced out the back entrance and looked around.

Nothing.  Oh God!

Emily raced back inside, up the hallway, around the corner to the backstage door.  She got to the back of the stage and whispered urgently to Fred.

"Fred!" hissed Emily.

"Where's Ginny?" Fred asked.

Emily beckoned him to her urgently.  "I can't find her."

Fred looked blankly at her and then comprehension dawned on him.  "Oh no," he whispered, as if scared to say it out loud.

"I know, what'll we do?"

"You'll have to stand in for her.  Tell them that she's unwell and you're standing in for her."

"Oh like they'll believe that," said Emily.

"Yes they will.  They don't know that anything bad's happened.  Remember?  Muggles… and all that?" said Fred urgently.  "Look I'll make the introduction.  We'll give you a couple of minutes to go tell Sirius what's going on, and then I'm introducing you."

Emily just stood there, fear in her eyes, frozen in time.

"Em, it's okay.  Go.  She'll be okay.  We'll find her," replied Fred with an encouragement he wasn't feeling at all.

He watched as she made her way through the crowd.  He told Shane and Phil what was going on and with a few taps of Phil's drumsticks, they were on their way.

~*~

Emily made her way through the crowd to Sirius.  She was trying to breathe and stay calm, to keep her head clear for the next hour.

Sirius spotted Emily coming towards them, and noted the look on her face.  His hand tightened its grasp on Anne's, who glanced at him, and then followed his gaze.

"Emily," said Sirius standing up, "what's wrong?"

"It's Ginny."  Emily stood there, trying to function, when her brain was just a jumbled mass of emotions.  She took a deep breath.  "She's gone.  I can't find her anywhere backstage."

"What!?" cried Ron and Hermione.

~*~

On the opposite side of the pub from where Emily was, Adam stood in the shadows and watched the drama play out, smiling evilly to himself in the shadows.  He knew that by now, Draco would have Ginny at his place, stunned and immobilised.  Adam knew from past observations that she didn't keep her wand with her when she had a gig.

He manoeuvred slowly through the pub.  It was time.

~*~

Sirius, Ron, Hermione and Anne just stood in shocked silence.

"I've looked everywhere I could think of."  Fred had just stepped up to the microphone.  "I have to go.  I'm going to fill in for Ginny.  But you… go… find her," Emily cried urgently.

"Okay Em, it's okay."  Anne could see Emily was on the verge of losing it.  "Take a deep breath.  You have to hold it together for the next hour."

Before Emily could react, Ron was off, striding towards backstage without a word.

"Ron!" cried out Hermione.

"Emily go!  We'll see you after okay?" said Anne with a calm she definitely was _not_ feeling.

Emily turned and ran back to the stage, just as Fred was introducing her.  She could do this.  She was a professional.  She ran up the steps, smiling widely.

"Evening everyone!  Yes, yes, I know, you'd rather have Grace up here, but she's really not well right now, so you'll have to put up with me for at least an hour…"  The band moved into the first song immediately and Emily, smiling as though she had not a care in the world, started singing as if her life depended on it.

Her eyes swept the room.  She always looked up the back, to avoid eye contact until she got into the groove of performing.  To her surprise, her eyes fell on Adam, who was looking right at her.  She smiled at him as she continued the song, and then her smiled faltered.

Adam had just disapparated right before her very eyes!


	18. Darkness Falls

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
  
Authors Notes: Okay were back after a bit of time off... :) But you are getting 2 chapters for the price of one!! :)  
  
Thanks everyone for reviewing... :) Just so you all know, I am no longer updating regularly here anymore... A Lost Love is now based at www. ginnypotter .com .... I hope to see you all over there... I will continue to update here, but you wont have the most recent chapters... :)  
  
Thanks again... Rhiain & Carolyn....  
  
Chapter 18  
Darkness Falls  
  
~*~  
  
Harry appeared just outside of Gringotts.  
  
With a sigh of contentment, he sighed. Diagon Alley.  
  
With his hood up, covering his face, he looked around in delight. It had been so long since he'd been here; he had so many memories of Diagon Alley – his first visit with Hagrid, Flourish and Blotts with Gilderoy Lockhart; Harry smiled to himself at that one. He was home, at least for a short while. And this visit would be the happiest, Harry thought to himself.  
  
He went inside and approached Griphook. Griphook and his goblins had been invaluable against Voldemort. They had been able to help many times during the war. He knew Griphook would be discreet about his presence back home and his visit to the bank.  
  
Ten minutes later he was outside, ring securely tucked away in his robes, with a charm to keep it in place, so he couldn't lose it.  
  
Next stop. The Ministry of Magic.  
  
He had to do this properly, and now that he knew Mr Weasley was in the loop, he wanted to stop in to see him for a few minutes. He made his way to the Ministry building, moved through security quickly; he was still an employee, technically, and an Auror. One of the pros of being Harry Potter was that people at the Ministry were apt to do things more efficiently for him - even without asking.  
  
A few minutes later he had passed the Auror Division and stood outside Mr Weasley's Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office. He knocked on the door and entered.  
  
Mr Weasley was sitting there dictating to his quill. As the door opened he looked up to find Harry standing before him.  
  
"Harry!" Mr Weasley stood up and crossed the small room to shake his hand vigorously, grinning from ear to ear. "Does this mean...?"  
  
"No. Ginny's not with me. She's still in Australia. I've just popped back for a quick trip and to ask you something."  
  
"Sure, of course. Please, have a seat Harry. How is she?" Mr Weasley asked, concern for his only daughter evident in his expression and tone.  
  
"She's fine Mr Weasley. Really. She's had a total emotional overload this past week, in some ways; what with me finding her and then Ron and Hermione showing up. But apart from being a little tired, she's doing really well."  
  
Mr Weasley lowered his eyes and passed his hand across his face, his hand trembling. "Thank Merlin for that."  
  
"Mr Weasley, I've got to ask you something though, and I'm a little nervous about it."  
  
"Come now Harry. We've known each other for a long time," said Mr Weasley sounding curious.  
  
"Yeah, but this is about Ginny, and well... you know what I'm like when it comes to stuff like this," began Harry, who decided that he wasn't comfortable sitting down. He suddenly stood up and began pacing the small space in front of Mr Weasley. He was nervous, almost as if he'd been summoned to Professor McGonagall's office.  
  
"Ah," replied Mr Weasley knowingly. A smile grew on his face. He'd been proud to have played a part in Harry's life since he and Ron became friends all those years ago. Harry was a good man, with a good heart, and it had been wonderful to see him and Ginny together when they started dating. They were good for each other.  
  
"Well," began Harry, "I, um, guess you know, despite the recent three year separation, that Ginny and I really care for each other." Harry glanced down at Mr Weasley, who nodded his head seriously. "And, I hope you don't think that I'm rushing this at all, but..."  
  
Mr Weasley just waited patiently, trying to hide a smile. "It's easier if you say it quickly," intervened Mr Weasley gently.  
  
Harry looked across into Mr Weasley's kind, knowing eyes, sensing that he knew what was coming. He took a deep breath.  
  
"I want to marry Ginny, Mr Weasley, and I'd really like your blessing, if that's okay," Harry said in a rush, suddenly, completely, irrationally terrified.  
  
Mr Weasley was quiet for a moment, the silence hanging between them.  
  
"Well Harry, you know this is a big deal for us, Ginny being our only daughter and all that."  
  
"Yes sir, I know."  
  
"But, I'm just not sure if the man who defeated Voldemort is quite up to scratch for our little girl," Mr Weasley spoke purposefully, and then, "I'm kidding Harry," seeing the look of surprise on Harry's face. "You know how I feel about you. You've been like one of our children ever since you came to visit in the flying car that summer. I'd be proud to have you as my son- in-law."  
  
Mr Weasley stood up. Harry put out his hand to shake Mr Weasley's, who solemnly shook it in return.  
  
"So what's the next step?" asked Mr Weasley eagerly.  
  
"Well, I've got to get back and then pick my time. Ron and Hermione are due back in the next couple of hours. I think their portkey leaves at 11.00pm. But there's something else." Harry paused, wondering how to phrase what had been happening without panicking Mr Weasley. He quickly rationalised that it wouldn't matter what he said, Mr Weasley was going to worry anyway.  
  
"The day I found Ginny, Draco Malfoy attacked some friends of hers. Ginny wasn't hurt and neither was I, but we've spent the rest of the week, whilst Ginny has been in school," Mr Weasley raised his eyebrows at this, "I'll tell you another time, I've got to get back. Whilst she's been in school we've been trying to track him and find out what he's up to, but at this stage we haven't had any luck. Now," continued Harry before Mr Weasley could interrupt him, "when Ron and Hermione get back they're going to come and see you straight away. The thing is, Mrs Weasley mustn't know what's going on. Ginny's a little fragile after this past week and I really don't think she'd cope with any other family visits, especially her mum, on top of everything else. Please. Don't tell her whatever you do. I know it's a lot to ask."  
  
"It's alright Harry, I understand," replied Mr Weasley, his brow furrowed in concentration.  
  
"Also Mr Weasley, don't mention to Ron and Hermione that I've been here. They can't know that I've even dropped by, it would give away where I've been and probably what I'm doing. You know how smart Hermione is. And they definitely don't know I've come home, they think I'm running an errand somewhere in Melbourne. So you've got to act surprised when he tells you what's been happening." Harry paused. "I just couldn't leave without telling you though. It didn't seem right."  
  
"I appreciate that Harry," said Mr Weasley wiping the frown from his face. "Well, you'd better get going. Don't want to keep Ginny waiting do you?" He smiled a tender, fatherly smile, that would only ever be matched by one from Sirius.  
  
"I'll hopefully see you again soon, Mr Weasley," said Harry shaking his hand again. "Any message for Ginny?"  
  
"Just that we love her and we want her home whenever she's ready."  
  
"Will do. I'd better get going. I can portkey from in here can't I?"  
  
"Yes, no problem. Take care Harry, take care of Ginny won't you?"  
  
Harry nodded seriously, incanted "Portus", said "Goodbye" once more to Mr Weasley and disappeared from sight.  
  
Moments later he was in the alley beside the pub. His heart was pounding with excitement. He hadn't really thought past this point all week. Now he had his mother's engagement ring the next thing was... to actually take the next step. He took in a deep breath to calm himself and then walked around the corner and through the front entrance of the pub.  
  
~*~  
  
In the meantime, back at the pub...  
  
Ron raced towards the backstage door, flung it open and raced down the corridor. He knew that Emily had already looked, but he looked again anyway; looking for any evidence of what might have happened.  
  
Hermione, Sirius and Anne were close behind him, breathless.  
  
"Ron, did you..." the words died on Sirius's lips when he saw the look on Ron's face. He looked completed shattered. Like someone had just ripped out his guts. He was staring at the mirror; at the message on it. They all looked at the message, written in Ginny's lipstick.  
  
Again, she is gone... history does repeat itself doesn't it? But this time, you won't be able to save her... DM  
  
Tears shone in Ron's eyes. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that this was happening. AGAIN!!! He turned to the others slowly, his eyes glistening.  
  
"We've got to find her. Now. He'll kill her." Ron spoke quietly, but strongly. Hermione watched him, frightened. She'd never heard him sound like this before. Ever.  
  
"We will Ron, I promise," said Sirius, who was pale. He turned to Anne. "We need your help. Every resource you have. We need it. Now."  
  
Anne stood quietly, and then pointed her wand to her throat and whispered an incantation that no one else but Sirius could hear. She whispered something else, and then nodded her head.  
  
"I've just called the MLES. They'll be here shortly."  
  
"What's going on?" asked Ron fervently. "What the hell is going on? Who are you?" he fired at Anne.  
  
"Ron..." started Sirius.  
  
"No Sirius, it's okay. They'll know in a minute or two anyway, and maybe it's time to tell Emily too." She turned to face Ron, who was looking confused and agitated. "My job as a teacher is a cover. I work for the MLES and the Department of Mysteries. It's a long story," she said quickly as Hermione started to speak, "and one we don't have time for right now. I need all of you to wait out in the corridor for a moment."  
  
"No," said Ron firmly. "I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"Ron," Anne continued firmly and quietly, "the MLES need to do a sweep in here to see if they can track wherever she's gone. As an Auror you know that the room has to be clear to do it properly. Please. Wait outside."  
  
There was silence as Ron stared at Anne.  
  
~*~  
  
"Did everything go smoothly?" asked Adam as he walked into the study. It was a huge room, lined with bookcases containing quite an array of Dark arts information and very comfortable leather couches; the epitome of expensive taste.  
  
"Oh yes, it certainly did. She's in the back room, bound and helpless," remarked Draco casually, as if he was accepting a dinner invitation.  
  
"Are you ready for the next phase of this little venture?" enquired Adam silkily.  
  
"Yes. I am. It's almost ready," replied Draco.  
  
"Are you sure you've got it right?" Adam was worried.  
  
"Fortunately, I had the best professor whilst at Hogwarts, so it will be perfect," Draco assured Adam confidently.  
  
"Then let's move her into the main arena and you - get ready. It's almost time."  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny was lost. She felt as though she was moving through a fog, and couldn't find her way out of wherever she was. She called out for Harry, but there was no answer. Her head was achy and she didn't know what was causing the pain.  
  
Ginny groaned and tried to move her head. She couldn't. Why not? She blinked her eyes and tried to move her arms. Again she couldn't. What had happened? She struggled to remember. Ohhh her brain was so foggy at the moment. Had she been drugged? She tried again to open her eyes and finally managed it. She looked at her surroundings.  
  
She was in a dimly lit room. As her eyesight came into focus she could see a figure across the room. She couldn't make out who it was. What had happened? She took a deep breath and thought back. She had been going back to put more lipstick on... Draco! Draco had stunned her and now she was here. Wherever here was.  
  
The figure across the room moved slowly towards her. It wasn't Draco, she could tell by the shape. Draco wasn't as tall and was more finely built. And even in the dark, his blond hair stood out a mile. But even in the dimness this person looked familiar. He was tall and bulky, with light hair, not blond like Draco. He looked familiar. The figure walked under the single globe of light that was in the room, and she gasped silently. Adam!  
  
"Hello Ginny. Didn't think you'd be seeing me again quite so soon did you?" Adam smiled an evil smile. It was one of total confidence and power.  
  
Ginny shivered in fear. He'd used her real name. What was going on? She didn't speak. She didn't say a word; didn't want to give away anything.  
  
"Yes, smart move, not talking, but no mind. I'll get what I want in the end."  
  
'What do you want?' Ginny thought to herself.  
  
"If you're wondering about Draco. He's unavailable at the moment. We've got quite a lot in common actually, but I've got him working elsewhere, so I could have you all to myself."  
  
Ginny's skin crawled, her heart beat faster. No. It wasn't going to happen again. Not to her!  
  
~*~  
  
Ron, Hermione and Sirius were in the corridor. Hermione was worried. Ron hadn't spoken a word since Anne has asked them all to leave. The MLES had arrived and had been in there for at least 20 minutes.  
  
Sirius was pacing.  
  
"Harry'll be back soon. What the hell are we going to tell him?"  
  
"You ask that like there's any other option other than to tell him the truth," said Ron flatly, watching Sirius pace up and down the corridor. "Would you stop the pacing already!"  
  
Sirius stopped, looked at Ron a little warily, and stood against the wall opposite Ron and Hermione. He slid down the wall to the floor, his head in his hands.  
  
Hermione watched, her heart going out to both of them. They had all been through so much together, and to finally have Ginny back and then for her to be taken again. It was like a nightmare; but she didn't think she was going to wake up from this one, somehow.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry walked in the front door of the pub, immediately looking towards the stage to find Ginny. To his surprise Emily was up there. Harry's sharp eyes detected tension, even from the back of the room – from the whole band. Something was up.  
  
Harry moved through the crowd to where he had left everyone else. They weren't there. He moved towards the backstage door, passing close to the stage. He looked up at Emily who was still singing away as if nothing was wrong, and caught her looking at him. Her eyes didn't move. He kept going, through the backstage door, around the corner, to find Sirius, Hermione and Ron in the hallway.  
  
"Hey what's going on? Why's Emily on stage? Where's Ginny?"  
  
Hermione was the first to move. Sirius and Ron were like statues; mute and not moving. She noted that he looked really relaxed and happy. Ecstatic almost. Hermione couldn't put her finger on the emotions that were currently radiating out from Harry. She didn't have time to analyse it and was going to have to shatter it anyway.  
  
"Harry, something's happened," started Hermione.  
  
"What?" A funny feeling trickled down Harry's back. Something was deadly wrong. Ron and Sirius weren't looking him in the eye.  
  
"It's Ginny, she's been taken again," Hermione whispered, almost afraid to say the words out loud.  
  
There was silence as they all waited for his reaction.  
  
"Who?" was all Harry said, his voice like steel.  
  
"Draco Malfoy," said Ron quietly.  
  
Harry just stood in the hallway, not quite believing what he was hearing. "No, she can't be gone. We put protective wards over this pub. To protect all of us," Harry said, his words coming out quickly as if he was talking to himself. "How did he get through the wards?"  
  
No one answered him. Harry felt himself lean up against the wall and slide down it, landing on the floor in a lump. He hung his head, not speaking. Hermione went to sit beside him. She pulled him into her arms and held him tight. She knew what was coming.  
  
As she had suspected, Harry didn't take it well. She felt his shoulders shake as he sobbed in her arms. She just held him tighter, murmuring soothing words to him, as she rocked him gently. She had never seen him like this before. Harry had always been the strongest of them all. He was the unemotional one. He had always hidden everything from everyone, even from her and Ron sometimes. It was unnerving to see him fall apart like this.  
  
A few minutes later... "Harry," came a quiet voice from a few feet away.  
  
Harry looked up from within Hermione's embrace, not caring what anyone thought or how he looked. He wanted Ginny. He couldn't lose her. He couldn't ever lose her. His eyes slowly focused on Anne.  
  
She moved across to him and Hermione, bent down and pulled him gently out of Hermione's embrace and helped him to stand. If the look on Ron's face had been awful, Harry's was worse. Hermione flinched when she saw the expression on his face. It was as if Ginny was already dead.  
  
Anne brushed back his hair instinctively, to watch it flop back over his forehead again. Harry cracked a weak smile.  
  
"The mirror at the Blue Angel told me it was hopeless, and that the only alternative was to shave my head completely. Do you think Ginny would like that?"  
  
"Hmmm, not sure actually," Anne humoured him for a moment. "You know she'll love you whatever you do with your hair." Harry gave another weak smile.  
  
"If I ever see her again, or if she's even alive," he replied woodenly, looking down at his feet.  
  
"Harry, I promise we are doing everything we can to track Draco's portkey. It's just proving a little more difficult than we expected. I've got to go back to the office and I think you should all come with me. I don't trust Draco, and I want you all safe.  
  
"Harry?" prompted Anne again. "Harry, I need you to help me. I need your focus and your skill."  
  
Harry was numb. Tears slid down his face as he turned away from Anne. His eyes locked on Sirius's. Sirius took a step forward and wrapped Harry in his embrace.  
  
"Go ahead all of you," he said quietly. "Leave someone here to protect Emily and the boys and to bring them back to the Ministry. I'll be along with Harry as soon as I can." He nodded to Anne, who led the MLES team, Hermione and Ron out the back way to apparate to Tin Pan Alley.  
  
He held Harry a little while longer, then released him. Harry just stood there numbly, tear stained face and all.  
  
He moved as if to walk into the dressing room, when Sirius stopped him.  
  
"No Harry, you don't need to go in there," Sirius said urgently, reaching out to grab Harry's arm.  
  
"Yes Sirius, I do. He left a message didn't he?"  
  
Sirius didn't respond. He didn't have to.  
  
Harry walked in through the open door and saw the message that Draco had written on the mirror.  
  
Again, she is gone... history does repeat itself doesn't it? But this time, you won't be able to save her... DM  
  
He stood there just looking. No emotion. No tears.  
  
Sirius watched him carefully. It was like the calm before the storm. He'd seen it before; in James. Harry was so like him in some ways it was a little scary; and oddly comforting too.  
  
"I just told Mr Weasley that she was okay. That she was fine. I asked for his permission to marry Ginny. He said yes. I'm glad he said yes."  
  
Harry was talking like an automaton. He turned to face Sirius. "I told him that I would take care of her, and look what happened when I left for just a short time." Harry walked towards the mirror. Sirius was poised waiting for the explosion.  
  
Harry turned and looked at the message again. He took another step closer. He raised his fist, leant forward and with all the strength he had in him, he brought his fist to smash against the mirror.  
  
CRASH!! The mirror splintered into a thousand little pieces and shattered to the floor.  
  
Harry just stood there. The 'destroyed' look had been replaced, by a look of fierce, unwavering determination. Sirius sighed silently to himself, then looked at Harry's fist. There were shards of mirror in the side of his hand where he'd made a fist. He was bleeding, the blood trickling off his hand and spattering on the carpet.  
  
"Let's get back to the Ministry Harry. We'll get your hand seen to and we'll find Ginny."  
  
Harry turned to face Sirius, not even feeling the pain in his hand, his face set. "Let's go".  
  
~*~  
  
Draco's place, that same night...  
  
Ginny was stiff and sore. She was still magically bound, as before, but she was in a different room and this time she was in a throne-like chair made out of silver. Adam hadn't touched her; he obviously preferred to talk his victims to death instead. Ginny allowed herself the luxury of a smile. She was alone again. She could chance it.  
  
He was so arrogant; and that would be his undoing. Ginny had been captured twice by Voldemort, so one more kidnapping wouldn't make any difference. She was more worried about Harry's reaction when he discovered her missing and how she was going to get out of here.  
  
Harry and Ron both would be going ballistic by now; and blaming themselves. It seemed inconceivable that she had been caught again. She couldn't figure out how they had done it. She knew that Harry, Sirius, Ron, Hermione, Anne and Emily had put wards up over all the main living places on Monday morning, so she couldn't figure out how Draco had penetrated the wards using Dark magic without setting off the Dark Detectors at the Ministry.  
  
Her head was feeling a bit clearer; she only had a slight headache now. And although she couldn't feel the back of her head with her hands, because they were bound by magic like the rest of her, Ginny could feel that she had a lump on the back of her head. She must have hit her head on the floor when Malfoy stunned her.  
  
Ginny looked around her as much as possible, checking the layout of the room. It was impossible to determine where she was or whether there was another way out. It was times like these that she wished she could see through walls, or have the ability to vanish herself to somewhere else. She was fantasising about various scenarios when the door to the room, on her left, opened and Adam sauntered through it.  
  
He picked up a chair from the back wall and brought it towards Ginny, placing it directly in front of her, but towards him so that he could straddle it and face her, resting his arms on the back of the chair.  
  
Ginny looked at him with complete disdain. She hadn't spoken a word since she'd woken up, and she certainly wasn't about to volunteer anything, unless it was to her advantage.  
  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Ginny," said Adam smoothly. "Stay quiet all you like, but it won't help you in the end."  
  
Ginny just looked at him dead on; not the least bit afraid. Part of her brain was curious as to why she wasn't scared, but for some reason she wasn't, and she wasn't about to ponder it right at this minute. She was reserving all her strength and resources for when she would have to fight. And she knew she would. It would just be a matter of time.  
  
She knew that Harry would find her. He'd tracked her all the way from England to America, to Australia. If he could do that, then he would find her again, no matter where she was. And also, she couldn't imagine Ron sitting placidly by either. He'd be going mental, she was sure of it.  
  
Adam had swung himself off the chair and was moving languidly around her, trailing his fingers along her arm and up over her head, through her hair, coming to rest his forearms on the back of her chair.  
  
Ginny sat completely still. Her skin was crawling with revulsion and her mind was fogging over. She was praying that he wouldn't touch her, trying to quell the panic that suddenly rose inside her. 'Please, please don't let him hurt me. Please Harry, find me - quickly'.  
  
As if on command, the door to the room was thrown open. Ginny didn't see who walked through it, because Adam crossed in front of her, blocking her view. The next thing she felt was the back of Adam's hand connecting with her cheek; stars flittered in and out of her vision, as she struggled to stay conscious... and then she blacked out.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Emily, Fred, Shane and Phil were silent. They were staring at the door through which Anne had disappeared. They were waiting. There was no pacing, no talking; just silence.  
  
For Harry it was torture. He was used to quick thinking, reacting immediately; this waiting was killing him!  
  
The Aurors that had been left to keep an eye on the band showed up about 30 minutes after Harry and Sirius had arrived, with Emily and the boys. The boys were looking very overwhelmed by all this, staring around them half in curiosity and half in fear at what might happen next.  
  
They knew they were safe, but it was all still a little unnerving.  
  
Harry began pacing again. "This is taking too long Sirius. It's taking too long! What's going on in there?" Harry said gritting his teeth.  
  
"It won't be much longer Harry. They're tracking Dark magic which is never an easy thing to do," replied Sirius, trying to soothe his fears [and knowing that it wouldn't do any good].  
  
The door opened and eight bodies and pairs of eyes swung to the door, all at the same moment. Anne walked through, looking different. She was now wearing the robes of an Auror, but it was more than that. Suddenly her whole demeanour had changed. She had become professional and focused in a heartbeat. Not that she wasn't like that before, but she had always maintained a softness and warmth with all of them; and that was gone. This was serious, and her demeanour matched the situation.  
  
Harry almost ran to her. "What's going on? Have you tracked them? Have you found them?" he asked Anne urgently, fighting down the rising panic that threatened to overwhelm him every few minutes.  
  
Anne paused for a second. "No Harry, we haven't found them. We can track Malfoy's portkey to a general area and then it just disappears into a black hole."  
  
"You mean they're somewhere Unplottable?" asked Sirius, his arms crossing his chest.  
  
"Exactly. It only gives us an area to search in, not a specific destination to apparate to. I'm sorry Harry. It's a start and we've called everyone in. The entire department is working on this now. They know Malfoy, his history, his connection to Voldemort. They know how dangerous he is and they're aiming to bring him in and send him to Azkaban."  
  
"What can I do? I'm NOT going to just sit here while someone else does all the work. You know how personal this is to me Anne," Harry was breathing heavily, trying not to get worked up, his fists clenched at his sides.  
  
"I know Harry, but -"  
  
"No Anne, tell me where you last tracked him to, show me the detectors. It's not like I don't do this for a living you know. I may not have worked in an official capacity for three years, but I found Ginny," he spoke determinedly, not moving a muscle, his face inscrutable, and then quietly, "and I don't think anyone else could have done that."  
  
Anne watched him for a moment, juggling how much she should show him; she glanced over to Sirius for some sign of which way to go. Sirius nodded his head surreptitiously.  
  
"Alright, come in and have a look at what they've found. But just Harry and Sirius," she looked firmly at Emily, "and no arguments Emily. Harry and Sirius are trained in this sort of thing, you've never been in a war, and I'm not about to risk you now. I want you to stay with the boys and stay out of this."  
  
"What about us?" asked Ron. "We've got to leave in less than 5 minutes. What can we do from London?"  
  
"Well, how about some research? Has Draco any family left?" asked Anne.  
  
"Yeah, his mum," replied Hermione.  
  
"Well, use every resource at your disposal and find out if the Malfoy's have any property elsewhere in the world, particularly in Melbourne. Maybe that's where he's holding Ginny."  
  
"Don't forget Adam. First he's a muggle and now we discover that he's a wizard, and in league with Malfoy. What the HELL is THAT all about!" snapped Emily.  
  
"Well, we'll research him too," said Hermione, "see if there's anything that might be help us, although your records here are probably a better place to start." Hermione turned to Ron and took his hand. "Why don't I stay here and see what I can dig up on Adam. You know Malfoy better than just about anyone, if there's anything on him in London you'll find it."  
  
"What'll I tell Mum and Dad? You'd better come back, even if it's only for a short while. Dad already knows about Ginny, but he'll know something's up if you don't come home with me. He is going to /I when I tell him this," Ron looked helplessly at Harry, who didn't say a word. His secret visit to Mr Weasley and his plans to propose to Ginny were the only thing he had now and he wasn't about to tell anyone about it.  
  
When Harry didn't answer him, Sirius spoke. "Tell him and Amos, like we originally decided. That doesn't have to change. And I still don't think that Mrs Weasley should know, but ultimately that's Arthur's choice," said Sirius seriously. He was watching Harry carefully, out of the corner of his eye. He was just staring straight ahead, ignoring Ron, not looking at him. He knew that Harry was probably figuring out just how he'd like to kill Malfoy; and he had to stop him from doing that. Wherever Harry went, Sirius was going. He wasn't about to lose his godson, not after all they'd all been through!  
  
"No, it's not his choice. On no condition is she to come out here Ron," said Harry resolutely, his eyes flicking back to Ron in a flash. "I've got enough to worry about without having her coming over making things more emotional then they already are."  
  
Ron was about to say something when he felt Hermione's hand on his arm. He glanced sideways and she shook her head.  
  
Ron nodded. "Okay Harry, I'll do my best. Problem is we've missed our portkey home." Ron was looking panicky and edgy. He didn't like it when Harry was in this mood. But for Merlin's sake, she was his sister! He was worried too!  
  
"Don't worry Ron, I've already organised another one for you. It's ready to go whenever you are."  
  
"Thank you so much Anne, you've been a lifesaver tonight," said Hermione earnestly, moving to Anne to hug her goodbye. "I'll see you again soon." Hermione moved to Sirius and clasped him tightly. "Take care of Harry." She let him go, tears in her eyes.  
  
"I will. Now go and find us some ammunition to use against Malfoy, Hermione. I know you can do it," said Sirius, his blue eyes blazing fiercely with emotion. They turned and saw Ron and Harry standing face to face.  
  
"Just get me what I need Ron, I'm counting on you," said Harry, his eyes bright and fierce.  
  
"I will, and I'll be back if I can manage it."  
  
"No, just drop off what you find. Then I want you and Hermione to go home again. I want you both out of his way. I don't want to give him any more targets. This is about destroying everything in my life, and the best way to do that is to kill Ginny, you, Hermione and Sirius at this moment. I WON'T have it!"  
  
Ron stood his ground and held Harry's gaze unflinchingly. "Mate, I have never NOT been next to you in a fight, and I'm sure as HELL not going to let you go in alone."  
  
"I won't be alone, I've got Sirius and the MLES."  
  
"That's not what I mean and you know it. I'm coming back," said Ron looking extremely determined, "and so is Hermione, just as soon as we've found out what we need to know. She's my sister Harry," Ron looked pleadingly at Harry, and whispered, "I love her too."  
  
Harry was trying to keep a hold on his emotions. Ron and he never got like this with each other. Their feelings for each other were already understood; solid, unwavering, and unspoken.  
  
Ron grabbed Harry in a hug before he could blink, and held him tight. Harry closed his eyes and clung. Ron was the closest thing he had to a brother and he didn't want to lose him, but he knew he couldn't keep him away either.  
  
The broke apart, tears in their eyes.  
  
"Be quick about it then, already. Geez, you Weasley's love to talk don't you?" joked Harry feebly, ducking his head so that no one could see his tears.  
  
Ron smiled and moved to Hermione who closed the gap and clasped his hand tightly. Anne gave them the portkey, this time a coffee mug; Hermione uttered the incantation "Portus". They looked at Anne, Sirius and Harry one last time, threw small smiles towards Emily and the boys and a few moments later they were gone.  
  
"Come on Harry, we've got work to do," said Anne briskly, "and the clock is ticking."  
  
~*~  
  
2.00am...  
  
Ginny was cold. Freezing in fact.  
  
She wondered where Adam and Malfoy were. This passive/aggressive form of imprisonment was a little weird to Ginny. Sadly, she was used to far more intimidating behaviour from her captors. But then again, she should probably be thankful that it wasn't Voldemort again. She gave a slightly delirious chuckle and then sobered immediately, trying again, unsuccessfully, to free herself from her magical restraints. She knew it was useless, but then again she was feeling useless, helpless...  
  
It suddenly went awfully dark in her room. She wondered what was going on.  
  
Then just as suddenly the door blew open and the light dimmed even further so that Ginny could hardly see at all. All she could make out was a big, dark shape in the door way; and it didn't look like Adam or Malfoy.  
  
Her head began to ache again, she became all clammy and shivery; she closed her eyes - not understanding what was happening, trying to clear her head.  
  
But her mind was being assaulted by powerful images that were dragging her down to an abyss she never wanted to venture into again. Flashes of the Chamber of Secrets rose to the forefront of her mind; lying unconscious, inert and almost dead on the floor of the Chamber as Tom stood idly over her, telling her that Harry would be coming soon and that he would at last have his revenge and kill him.  
  
"No, no..." Ginny mumbled, grappling with the images flooding her brain. "Stop, please stop!" What was going on? Why couldn't she stop these memories from coming forth? She used all her strength to raise her head and look at what was now in front of her.  
  
Her eyes fell on a long black cloak; they travelled up, up, until she realised what she was looking at, as her eyes came into focus.  
  
It was a Dementor, and its scabby, bony hand was inching forward towards her...  
  
Before she could even process how it had come into being, her brain was overwhelmed by images of her killing Neville, seeing Harry seconds later; she was horrified and couldn't stop them! Even as she tried to breathe properly, image after image came crashing through her brain of her assault in New York. Ginny tried to stop the images from coming, but she couldn't! She couldn't. They were relentless. The Dementor was sucking every happy thought from her. Only the misery and terror remained.  
  
Ginny struggled to stay conscious. She tried to move... she couldn't. The Dementor leaned in towards her. 'Harry, please help me!' her brain screamed; but she was powerless to stop the overwhelming feeling of devastation that the Dementor was inflicting upon her.  
  
She had no strength left. The Dementor had taken all her energy; she succumbed to it. She knew she was about to be Kissed...  
  
"Leave her be," a voice commanded from behind the Dementor.  
  
~*~  
  
Ministry of Magic, MLES department...  
  
They had been watching the Dark detectors for a while now.  
  
Emily had had no choice but to take the boys back to the dormitory. Anne assigned four Aurors to watch over them and their surrounds; they were also strengthening the wards around the dorm rooms for extra protection. Emily knew the Aurors were questioning why the muggles hadn't had their memories altered yet, but that decision had been Anne's and she'd told Emily that she had a feeling they should remain the way they were.  
  
In the meantime, the Aurors knew much more than Emily ever would about spells and charms, so with their reinforced wards in place, she felt they were pretty safe. Because the boys were still a little freaked out by what was happening, Harry had suggested that they all stay in Emily's room. Safety in numbers. Anne agreed.  
  
Something in the Dark Detectors had just caught his eye.  
  
"Whoa, what was that?" asked Harry suddenly.  
  
Everyone in the room moved in around him and watched the monitor closely. There had been a flash of movement in the detectors. Now it was gone.  
  
The Auror analysing the detectors, Jimmy, looked perplexed. "I'm not sure Mr Potter. Give me a few minutes to figure out what caused it."  
  
Harry nodded curtly and moved away to the table that had been set up for Hermione and Ron. He hated being called Mr Potter, but even after all these years, he was still considered famous and he still couldn't get used to being addressed so formally.  
  
Ron and Hermione had only been gone for an hour, before they reappeared outside the Ministry and came through security to the MLES department.  
  
They had gone directly to see Ron's Dad, who was, understandably, rather distraught about what had happened. He immediately ushered them up to the Ministry's archives and had introduced them to the Librarian in Charge - Mr Rupert Weatherby. Mr Weatherby, it turned out, had fought Grindelwald in his day, and so fully understood the threat of Draco Malfoy. He knew exactly where to look for the records they were after.  
  
Whilst they had been in the library archives, Arthur had gone to the MLES and Auror Division to explain the situation. They had immediately sent four Aurors to Malfoy Manor to interrogate Narcissa Malfoy. Even with the use of Veritaserum, however, they had not discovered much. Narcissa knew of Lucius's assets in England, but wasn't able to shed any light on any other Malfoy properties around the world.  
  
When they returned to the Ministry, it was to find Hermione and Ron ready to leave again for Melbourne. The Aurors informed them of what had happened, and Ron had just responded by telling them to keep digging and see what they could come up with.  
  
They had come back with loads of reference books to wade through. In co- operation with the Ministry in Melbourne, London had allowed Ron and Hermione, given the special circumstances, to take any materials necessary back to Melbourne with them. They had volume after volume of property records, dating back centuries.  
  
So whilst Ron was meticulously looking through the records for references to Malfoy's properties, or related assets, even through marriage, Hermione was trying to find out any information on Adam. And it was difficult, to say the least. She had gone to the Melbourne Ministry Archives, but to no avail. Despite the fact that they had discovered that he was a wizard, Hermione had been unable to find any mention of him at all in the wizarding records.  
  
Hermione was about to give up, when Emily burst through the door.  
  
"Emily! What are you doing here?" exclaimed Hermione and Anne together.  
  
"I've found him!" cried out Emily.  
  
"Who?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Adam, I've found out all about him."  
  
Hermione looked momentarily disgruntled at being pipped at the post, but she pushed the feeling aside, knowing she was being irrational. "How? There's no mention of him in the Ministry's records anywhere."  
  
"That's because he's a bit of a genius," exclaimed Emily, looking like she was about to burst out of her skin with excitement. "He's been living as muggle all this time right?"  
  
Hermione nodded; Harry moved closer; Ron leaned across the volume he was researching, looking earnest.  
  
"So that means you're never going to find anything on Adam in the wizarding archives. So Phil, who, apart from being a brilliant drummer, is also a computer nerd, has done some checking on our behalf."  
  
Anne and Sirius were listening intently; Anne was a little amazed that her daughter had taken the initiative to help - even when told not to! She still felt proud though. She was a good girl, with a kind heart.  
  
"I've left the boys at the dorm. They're still looking for stuff on Adam, to see what else we can find, but wait for this. This will blow your mind." She paused dramatically, and took a deep breath. "We started by just checking the usual suspects; car registration, application into Uni, home address, etc. All the stuff you'd do if you were in the police force right?  
  
"Well, he actually has a room in our dorm. And before you ask, we've already checked it out. Between the Aurors you left to guard us and me, we got in, searched and got out again. We didn't find anything of any use though, but we thought we should check his room just in case. So after that we dug deeper."  
  
"Did you find a home address on him?" asked Anne.  
  
"Not yet, but we'll keep looking. Now I figured that if he's been pretending to be a muggle for ever and a day, then somewhere along the line he probably changed his name. Now I'll need your help with this Hermione, to verify that what we've found is accurate; in the muggle world, if you want to change your name you can, but it also means that there's a record of what you used to called – on an official Change of Name document somewhere.  
  
"Now Mum, don't get mad, but Phil did a little computer hacking and we discovered something HUGE! We found a Change of Name for him about the time he was four years old. Now, because I pretty much know every historical fact about wizards -" Hermione smiled at this, looking pleased. It was like she'd found a twin sister - "I remembered something. His name as we know it, is Adam Crawshaw, but records show he used to be Dominic Hunderbab."  
  
Everyone looked blankly at Emily, even Hermione.  
  
"Hunderbab! Don't you know who he is?" Everyone shook their heads. "It turns out that Adam, aka Dominic Hunderbab, is the sole surviving descendant of Habib Hunderbab, the Turkish wizard who created the Dementors!" exclaimed Emily excitedly. 


	19. The Dementor

Chapter 19  
The Dementor  
  
~*~  
  
A horrified silence fell over the room. Habib Hunderbab was probably more 'infamous', rather than famous, for creating the Dementors.  
  
Harry sat shakily down in a chair, pale as a ghost and trembling. Ron was the same. His freckles stood out starkly against his paled skin. He looked like he was going to be sick.  
  
"But there aren't any Dementors left!" cried out Hermione desperately, her voice loud in the silent room, expressing her disbelief at this information - her hands planted very firmly on the table, as if to steady herself, even though she was sitting down. "They were all destroyed when Voldemort was. Every single one of them! You know it, Harry," she spoke fervently, looking at him." You know the Ministry checked. They spent months checking that it was true!"  
  
"Hermione, calm down. Just because Adam is Hunderbab's descendant, doesn't mean that the Dementors are back," Sirius said, crossing his arms across his chest rather defensively, but trying to sound positive. He was trying to keep as calm as possible, but visions of his imprisonment at the hands of the Dementors came viciously back to him. He'd gone sheet-white. He took a deep steadying breath and sank into a chair next to Hermione; Anne put a reassuring hand on his head and he leaned against her stomach as she stood beside him. She knew what horrors he'd suffered; they had talked a lot about his past during the week. And she knew that Harry had come up against the Dementors on several occasions now; she knew the horrors that kept revisiting his head each time he came near one.  
  
There was silence, until...  
  
Harry brought his fist down with a resounding BANG! startling everyone.  
  
"I'm feeling the distinct urge to beat the crap out of something," said Harry raggedly, sliding down in his chair - his head flung backwards, staring at the ceiling.  
  
"Or hex the hell out of Malfoy," said Ron quietly. "But that would be a waste of a good hex. Let's just kill him!"  
  
There was silence at this impassioned statement from Ron.  
  
"No Ron," said Sirius quietly, moving to stand in front of Harry, Hermione and Ron, "I'm not going to let any of you do that."  
  
Ron looked at up at Sirius incredulously. "Are you kidding me?" he shot at Sirius.  
  
"No, I'm not," replied Sirius. He crouched down on his heels and looked up at three young people whom he'd come to love as if they were his own children. "He's not worth it."  
  
Ron went to open his mouth, but Hermione stopped him, placing her hand on his arm. "Just listen to him for a moment, Ron."  
  
"He is not worth spending the rest of your life in Azkaban. He is not worth losing your dignity and self respect for. He is not worth stooping that low for. No one is. And you're a better human being for not being able to do what he, his family and all Death Eaters can do in a heartbeat. It's the easy way out. And I'm not going to let you go down that road." Sirius looked directly at Ron, who was obviously struggling with his emotions. "Okay?"  
  
Slowly Ron, Hermione and Harry nodded in agreement. They knew he was right, no matter how they felt at that moment.  
  
"Mum, I'm going to get back to the dorm. I'll let you know if we find anything else okay?" said Emily quietly, before leaving the room and closing the door quietly behind her.  
  
All was quiet for a minute until...  
  
"I've got something!" shouted Jimmy into the quiet room.  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione leapt up from the table and along with Sirius, Anne and several other department employees, they all moved to the large bank of Dark Detectors with Jimmy standing in front of them.  
  
"What?" said Harry curtly.  
  
"Well sir, I think I may have found them. The trouble is they've disappeared again. It's like... whatever is keeping their location Unplottable, is being lifted from time to time, like whatever charm is in place - it's unstable; it's being affected by something... I can't really explain it. I've never seen anything like it. I'm just hoping that if it happens again, I'll be able to get a better fix on the location so that we can apparate to it."  
  
"Well done Jimmy," said Anne. "What we need to do now is continue to go through the property records and see if there's any connection of the Malfoys' that traces back here. "Hermione, do you think you can start researching Dominic Hunderbab? The more we find out about him the better."  
  
"Harry, could you give me a hand?" asked Hermione quietly, gently taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze.  
  
Harry looked at Hermione, with eyebrows raised questioningly. He knew she was trying to distract him, and as the hours had gone by and he'd grown increasingly restless, Harry realised that distraction was just what he needed - it either help with the research or he was either going to collapse from emotional exhaustion or go crazy.  
  
"Sure, where do you want me to start."  
  
Within minutes they were organised. Ron, Harry and Hermione sat down to research Malfoy and Adam with the new information at hand. The other department employees left them alone. It was almost like being back in Madam Pince's library at Hogwarts again.  
  
~*~  
  
There was something calming about researching with his two best friends, Harry thought to himself a few hours later. Without thinking, he reached out and grasped Hermione's hand in his own, as she had done to him earlier.  
  
She looked up at him in surprise, but hid her reaction quickly, delighted that he was reaching out to her. She'd known what he would be like when she first learned that Ginny was missing; what he'd always been like. Once the initial shock had worn off, the old Harry had returned. The mask in place. A stone wall; impenetrable. He hadn't had any choice over the years. It was the only way he'd been able to cope with everything that had been thrown at him since he discovered he was a wizard. And she and Ron had had no choice sometimes but to just watch him deal with it in his own way. They were always there, by his side, never leaving, their support unwavering. She squeezed his hand gently in reply.  
  
"Stop trying to steal my fiancé, please Harry," Ron spoke quietly into the room, "I'd rather like to marry her in a few months if that's alright with you. Isn't my sister enough for you?"  
  
Harry smiled. There was nothing more secure then their friendship. The three of them had been inseparable since they survived the Troll in their first year. Ron knew how Harry felt about Hermione and the 'stealing' comment had been a regular joke amongst them for a while now. But with Harry searching the world for Ginny, they had missed the opportunity to use it.  
  
Hermione looked deeply into Ron's eyes, and still holding Harry's hand in her left one, she took Ron's left hand in her right, pulled him towards her and kissed him thoroughly on the lips.  
  
"Get a room you two," mumbled Harry, trying to ignore this latest display of affection between his best friends.  
  
"Oh, like you can talk," retorted Ron wryly, as he released Hermione from his embrace.  
  
"It's nice to see some things haven't changed," commented Sirius from across the room.  
  
"Well, apart from the bank of detectors on the wall, this almost feels like being back at the Hogwarts Library," said Hermione seriously. "Which is comforting in a way."  
  
"I know," smiled Sirius knowingly. "How's the research coming?" Sirius jumped up from his chair beside the Dark Detectors and strode over to the centre of the room where the table was situated.  
  
"Slowly, but there is at least a traceable history of Adam starting to come together," explained Hermione tiredly. "I'm up to his great, great grandparents now, but I still haven't come up with anything that I can cross-reference back to the wizarding archives; at least nothing useful. I can find all his relatives easily enough. It looks as though they were just regular wizards - nothing evil or Dark about them, apart from their connection to Hunderbab, and by all accounts he wasn't a Dark wizard. Just trying to create an army of protectors I believe was the original concept - about 800 years ago.  
  
"But there's nothing on Dominic or where he and his father used to live, before his father changed his name. I can't find any reference to his father at all. I can't even determine whether he's dead or alive."  
  
"Hmmm, why don't we go check out the last known address for Adam and see where that leads us?"  
  
"You could do that," Harry added to their conversation, "but I think he's too smart for that. This guy has evaded the wizarding world for the last, what - seventeen years? I keep thinking that his association with Malfoy is a complete coincidence. Fortunate for both of them, yes, but a coincidence nonetheless. And even if he's trusting Malfoy at the moment, I doubt whether he'd tell him everything. Would you - with a past like his?"  
  
"No," replied Sirius evenly, proud of the insight Harry was coming up with. He truly had inherited James's intelligence.  
  
"So that only leaves us with tracking Malfoy, which Ron is still working on."  
  
"You should probably all get some sleep," Anne said worriedly from her desk next to Jimmy's in front of the detectors.  
  
Harry just raised his eyebrows at her, a look of incredulity on his face as to how she could even ask the question.  
  
"I know you won't, but I still think you should."  
  
"No," said Harry resolutely, "every minute that goes by, we waste precious time that could make all the difference."  
  
"I know, and I understand. I just don't want you to be fighting Malfoy unless you're as sharp as you can be, that's all. I'd rather he not win because you're sleep deprived."  
  
Sirius smiled to himself. That was smart of her. He wasn't sure if using reverse psychology on Harry at this point would work, but anything was worth a try.  
  
Harry looked wearily at Anne. He took off his glasses and cleaned them, rubbed his eyes tiredly before placing them back on his face again. He was exhausted. Sirius was taken back, yet again, at how much Harry was like his father, even with the simplest of gestures.  
  
"I guess the only thing on our side is that he's going to use Ginny to get to me, so he's not likely to kill her; he's after me – I'm the one he wants, not Ginny. He wouldn't risk killing her. He knows that would give me no choice but to destroy him in return. Malfoy has always been more concerned with No. 1 than anything else. He's not likely to chance it."  
  
"True," said Ron, "but that doesn't mean he won't use Cruciatus on her until we find her. I don't want her ending up like the Longbottom's," he finished quietly.  
  
"Neither do I," said Harry quietly.  
  
"Let's make a deal then," said Anne, her mind racing, "why don't you three go back to the University and sleep. If anything happens, we'll come get you instantly. I promise. And while you're sleeping, we'll have our researchers take your place and continue what you're doing now. That way, we're not losing momentum and you can get some rest."  
  
"What about you and Sirius? You must be just as tired as we are?" asked Hermione, concerned for them.  
  
"We'll be fine. I'll make sure we get some sleep too, but I really want you three to go to Emily's now. Make sure she gets some sleep too. The boys I'm not so worried about. A day off Uni won't hurt them, and at the moment they're safer staying there than going to class anyway." Anne took another step towards them, her face set and worried, but determined.  
  
Harry knew when he was beat. He stood up and gave Anne a kiss on the cheek and made to leave the Ministry. Hermione and Ron followed suit, all three looking back into the room from the doorway, exhaustion and concern showing on their faces, before closing it gently behind them.  
  
"Okay everyone, let's get moving. Natasha, Geordie, John, you continue with the research. We've got to find Malfoy's residence, wherever it is," said Anne commandingly.  
  
~*~  
  
She was alone again.  
  
Her cheek was still sore from the smack that Adam had given her across the cheek. He was lucky she couldn't get to her wand. There was so much damage that she wanted to do to him right now, but... she had to be patient and wait for the right moment.  
  
As scary as all this was, it was better when they left her alone. Adam and Draco were so bloody arrogant though! They had told her that the house they were in was Unplottable. They had expected this to upset or panic her; not Ginny. She remained impassive and unreadable.  
  
Even when Malfoy had lost his temper and slapped her hard across her cheek, she hadn't made a sound, which only infuriated him more. She would have smiled at that point, except she didn't want to enrage him into using the Cruciatus Curse on her. She'd rather put that off for as long as possible. She knew it would come eventually. Malfoy was too vindictive, like his father, not to cause as much physical pain as possible. She was surprised that she wasn't in a 'Cruciatus' coma already, but she suspected that Adam was holding Malfoy back; she wondered why that would be.  
  
As she sat there, unable to move, she had been thinking back on all the good times she and Harry had had together. She knew that she may very well not survive this time around, but didn't dwell on it at all.  
  
She sat drowsily thinking about the week that had passed.  
  
"Now on today's agenda, we have the following," said Fred cheekily, Tuesday morning after the gig, "so listen up and pay attention!" They had all woken up late Monday, the students rushing off to class and the others lazing and strategising about Malfoy. Fred had placed himself in charge of their "social" schedule for the remainder of the week.  
  
"Tuesday, schedule as follows:  
  
"Ginny - class until 12.30pm Boys - class until 12.30pm Emily - class until 1.30pm! Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius - research on Malfoy"  
  
"And don't forget Emily and I are working Thursday night," Ginny reminded Fred.  
  
"Of course not, I have everything under control. Now as I was saying... then we'll meet up at 2.00pm in Ginny and Emily's dorm room and our next stop will be Luna Park. Now for those foreigners present... you're in for an interesting afternoon."  
  
Well that had been an understatement. It had been a brilliant afternoon; the sun had shone brightly [so much for Winter...] and the British delegation had been blown away.  
  
Ginny couldn't help smiling as she remembered Ron, Hermione, Harry and herself as they got their faces painted by an artist in a clown costume; eating their first fairy floss [which Ron, naturally, loved]; going on ride after ride - from the Dodgem Cars and the Ferris Wheel to the Scenic Railway; Ginny laughed out loud as she remembered how scared she had felt initially as the train crested the top of the train tracks way, way up high. They could see for miles and miles. It had been amazing, she thought to herself as she fell into an unsettled sleep...  
  
~*~  
  
Arthur hurried down the Ministry corridors, he had just been to the Ministry's Owlery and sent Molly a quick note:  
  
Dear Molly,  
  
It's really busy here today; there have been several raids organised for tonight, but I couldn't wait until tomorrow to tell you - I spoke to Ron and Hermione today [they put a floo call in from Bill's place by special request] and they will be staying with Bill a little bit longer. They seem to be really enjoying some time off together. I'll try not to wake you when/if I get home tonight/tomorrow morning.  
  
Love Arthur  
  
Now he was returning to his office. Ron and Hermione had only been home for an hour, before heading back to Australia to help find Ginny, again. The news had come as an awful shock to him. Only a few hours earlier he had been talking to Harry, who said everything was fine...  
  
'How quickly things can change,' he thought to himself. "What am I supposed to tell Molly if anything happens to the children?" he muttered to himself as he reached his office.  
  
Molly... Arthur groaned to himself.  
  
If she ever found out about what was going on, she would totally blow the roof off their house. He knew that Harry was right. If she knew, it would take an army to hold her back - and they couldn't afford that right at this minute. They would just have to all be prepared for the fallout with Molly, once they were all home.  
  
He wished he could go and help. He wanted to, but he'd promised Ron that he wouldn't go to Australia, but that wasn't going to stop him from helping at this end.  
  
As soon as Ron and Hermione left he went and talked to Amos Diggory, Ron's boss, and head of the MLES. Amos gave him a small amount of International Floo power so he could contact Ron and the group direct at the Ministry in Tin Pan Alley, with any information he could dig up.  
  
He was on his way down to the Archives again, when he remembered that there was one person that did need to know what was going on, apart from him and Amos.  
  
Remus. He went to his office and threw in some floo powder.  
  
"Lupin Lodge," he called. "REMUS? REMUS ARE YOU THERE?" he yelled hoping someone was home. "REMUS?"  
  
"Arthur?" asked Remus, walking towards his fire, anxious at the tone of Arthur's voice. "Is everything okay?"  
  
"No it's not Remus," said Arthur gravely.  
  
"What happened?" asked Remus quickly.  
  
"Draco Malfoy has somehow followed Harry around the world and has kidnapped Ginny. Ron and Hermione have stayed in Melbourne to help Harry and Sirius look for her," said Arthur, getting straight to the point.  
  
"Harry... how is he taking it?" asked Remus calmly and gravely, though he was stunned by this turn of events. He could just imagine how Harry was taking this. And also, how Sirius would be reacting in turn. Thank goodness they were with Anne. He knew her help would be invaluable right now.  
  
"Ron didn't say much, only that he was really upset, in shock and that he had never seen Harry look so devastated, and angry," Arthur said.  
  
"What can I do Arthur?" asked Remus.  
  
"Do you have any information on the Malfoy's and their property, who they might know in Australia and what he could be up to? I mean from your research last time around? Apart from what's in the archives? I've already sent Ron and Hermione back with everything we have here." asked Arthur. "Also, Draco is working with someone called Adam Crawshaw. We don't know much about him yet, only that he's a wizard, and has been living as a muggle," said Arthur.  
  
"I'll see what I can dig up," said Remus, "I'll be there in a few hours, okay?" asked Remus.  
  
"Sure, see you soon then. Thank Remus. Good Luck," said Arthur before disconnecting the floo.  
  
Arthur felt better now that Remus knew what was going on. He stood up and left his office to make another trip down to the archives. He returned with more volumes of information and settled down to reading up on the Malfoys.  
  
After a couple of hours he was no further along than when he had started. He wondered how much longer Remus was going to be... and then, as if he'd conjured him somehow out of thin air, Remus opened the door and walked in. Arthur stood and gravely shook Remus's free hand and then helped unload his arms, which were full of more research; probably from his own home.  
  
"I still haven't been able to find everything Sirius, James and I worked on the first time Voldemort was a threat, but this is a start," said Remus as he walked into Arthur's office and put down the files he had been carrying.  
  
"Yes it is, Remus," replied Arthur soberly.  
  
Arthur looked as though he had aged 10 years in just an afternoon, thought Remus looking at him. But he knew better after all these years, then to mention it out loud.  
  
"I'm going to leave you with this Arthur. I've got to go back to Black Manor and also to Hogwarts."  
  
"Why Hogwarts?" asked Arthur surprised.  
  
"Well, after Dumbledore inducted us in to the Order in our final year, he gave us a place of our own to study and research in private, it's called the Room of Requirement and I'm the only person at the moment who'll be able to find this room. And in this room should be the remains of our original research. I'm trying to remember what's there exactly, but the details are escaping me at the moment."  
  
Remus stood there looking the tiniest bit uncomfortable, but continued on.  
  
"Arthur, you know I'm not one for whimsical thinking, but I have strangest feeling that whatever we need is already in our possession, which is either at Sirius's or Hogwarts." Remus looked concerned, eager, sombre - all at once. "I won't be long. I'll be back as quick as I can."  
  
"Well, I just got word from Ron that they've discovered that Adam Crawshaw is actually Dominic Hunderbab, descendant of Habib Hunderbab," said Arthur quickly, before Remus could leave.  
  
"What does that mean, exactly?" asked Remus, knowing full well who Hunderbab was.  
  
"We don't know yet. Best not to make any assumptions until we have more information on him I think," replied Arthur.  
  
"Yes, of course," said Remus, looking thoughtful. "Well, I must get going Arthur, I'll be back as soon as I can."  
  
Arthur nodded his gravely, and Remus left his office as quickly as he'd arrived.  
  
~*~  
  
Remus was wandering along on the seventh floor of Hogwarts. There was a stretch of blank wall opposite an enormous tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy's foolish attempt to train trolls for the ballet. When he came to the tapestry, he walked up and down the corridor in front of the blank wall three times. "I need to find my research from 21 years ago; I need the research on Voldemort."  
  
He looked carefully at the blank wall, and before his very eyes a door appeared before him.  
  
As he opened the door and walked through it, it was like stepping back in time. Everything was exactly where it had been the last time they had left Hogwarts. For some inexplicable reason Remus felt overly emotional, and realised that the last time he had been in this room was with Lily and James; and their desks were right there, beside his.  
  
Once inside Remus walked straight to the battered desks that were side by side along one wall. Remus blinked away tears before he lost his self control. He heard a noise behind him and he turned to see Professor Dumbledore in the open doorway. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.  
  
"Ah Remus, it's good to see you again," said Professional Dumbledore, stepping into the room, serene and calm as always. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to meet you earlier."  
  
"Good afternoon Albus. I did try to locate you, but Professor McGonagall was kind enough to allow me to wander around on my own. Did she tell you what was going on?"  
  
"Yes Remus, and I want to help in any way I can," said Dumbledore gently, his eyes looking kindly at Remus over his half moon glasses.  
  
"Thank you sir, I know Harry would appreciate it, as do I," replied Remus respectfully. Although he had called Dumbledore by his first name, he could never quite forget that he was, and always would be, the student.  
  
"Now, what would bring you back to the Room of Requirement young Remus?" asked Dumbledore curiously, his eyes twinkling, as if fully aware of what Remus had just been thinking.  
  
"I wanted to find the research that we did all those years ago. We had so many areas of research and maybe it can help us again."  
  
"Well, I'll leave you to it then, but if you need my help Remus, I'll be only too glad to assist," said Dumbledore kindly. And then he paused for a moment, looking seriously at Remus. "The Order of the Phoenix is still active you know, even across International borders. If you need an extra broomstick, Tonks will be available. Just let me know."  
  
Remus looked quietly at Professor Dumbledore and wondered at this statement. Would he really go all the way to Australia to help Harry? 'Yes' thought Remus, 'he probably would.' He would do anything to preserve the peace that now existed for wizards all over the world - and he would do anything for Harry too.  
  
Dumbledore exited the Room of Requirement and left Remus in peace. For the next two hours, Remus looked carefully at all the information that Lily, James, Sirius, Peter and he had researched and collected during their final year at Hogwarts. He wasn't sure if he would need all it, but in the end he decided to take everything with him.  
  
And he still had to go to Black Manor.  
  
~*~  
  
It was getting late, and Arthur was just wondering where Remus was when the door opened and Remus walked into his office, his arms laden with lots of little packages he had shrunken so as to carry them more easily.  
  
"Sorry it took so long Arthur, I found everything, but it did take a bit longer than I thought. Also, Albus came to offer help as well."  
  
"Well, that's Dumbledore for you. Never one to sit idly by either."  
  
"Not just that, he pretty much said I had permission to call the Order if I needed their help."  
  
Arthur raised his eyebrows at this.  
  
"I've been thinking, and I know you won't be happy about this, but I need to go to Australia Arthur. I need to be with Sirius and Harry."  
  
Arthur looked a little startled at this sudden news, and then he looked slightly crestfallen.  
  
"I know Ron's there, and I know Ginny's your child, not mine, and I hate to leave you here by yourself, but Sirius and I have always fought side by side and I can't let him down now, not when I've let him down so much in the past."  
  
Arthur looked at Remus. He knew how Remus felt about the past. He knew he'd felt guilty for all the years he hadn't been around to look after Harry, on Sirius's behalf. He sighed heavily. "It wasn't your fault he went to Azkaban Remus. No one could have foreseen what Peter would do, and there was no way to know what the truth was!" said Arthur quietly into the silence.  
  
"I know, but I can't sit here in England, while he fights another battle – not without me to help him. I'm going to take this research with me. I'll call you via the floo network as soon as I arrive and know more information. I promise."  
  
Arthur looked at Remus and took in his desperate eyes, the longing for redemption for past mistakes written clearly in his eyes. They had all suffered so much over such a long period of time – he really did understand how Remus felt. And if the Order were required, then Molly would know too and they would all be called to help. He hoped it didn't get that far though.  
  
"I'm going to the MLES and request an immediate portkey," said Remus urgently.  
  
"I'll go with you; you might need some assistance convincing Amos about all this," said Arthur wryly, as he got up out of his chair and left his office, closing his door with a decided bang!  
  
~*~  
  
"Sir, sir, you can't go in there," said the Auror who was guarding the MLES department in Melbourne, Australia, stepping in front of Remus to block his entry.  
  
"I'm here to see Anne Fletcher and Sirius Black," said Remus, trying to get around the Auror.  
  
"Are they expecting you?" asked the Auror.  
  
"Yes and no," he answered simply.  
  
"Sir, I'm sorry, but at the moment I just can't let anyone in there. I have to get approval first. Sorry sir, they're my orders. Your name?" the Auror asked.  
  
"You can tell Anne that an old friend is here to see her," Remus said finally.  
  
The Auror paused, a little annoyed at Remus's reticence to give him any information; he turned, uttered an incantation to unlock the door and entered the room. He returned a few moments later telling Remus to go through.  
  
As Remus entered the room, he noticed a wall of Dark Detectors, manned by an Auror, and over in the corner there was a table that Sirius, Anne and several other people were sitting at, obviously doing research. He noticed, however, that Sirius was fast asleep, his head and arms resting on a large book.  
  
~*~  
  
Anne turned her head and watched, smiling, as Remus crossed the room to her. She'd known who Ashleigh was talking about as soon he'd told her an old friend was here. In some ways he hadn't changed a bit, but in others, he looked older than she thought he should look. The years had taken their toll on him, as well as Sirius. She watched as his eyes wandered around the room settling on Sirius before noticing that she was watching him.  
  
He walked over to her, and pulled her into a warm, enveloping hug.  
  
"I've missed you sooo much Moony," whispered Anne into Remus's ear.  
  
"I've missed you too," said Remus, squeezing her once more before letting her go and holding her at arms length. "You look great. Australia seems to have done you good," he said.  
  
"I hope you're not implying that I didn't look good before I arrived here," she said teasingly.  
  
"Of course not," replied Remus seriously.  
  
"My only regret was not having the Lily and the Marauders here with me," she said, pulling him into another hug.  
  
"I only wish we were here under better circumstances," said Remus.  
  
"Me too, me too."  
  
"Were either of you going to wake me for this reunion?" said a sleepy Sirius, standing up and giving Remus a long hug.  
  
"Thanks for coming Mooney," whispered Sirius, his arms still wrapped around Remus. He stepped back and continued. "What the hell are you doing here?" he said, sitting back down and gesturing for Anne and Remus to do the same. "Not that I'm not happy to see you," he added hastily, grinning sleepily.  
  
"After Ron and Hermione left, Arthur contacted me to see if I had any more information on the Malfoy's," he said. "At first all I could think of was what was at the Ministry, but then I remembered the research we all did before Lily and James..." he started, before adding, "anyway I thought some of it might be useful," he finished quietly.  
  
"Where did you find it? I would have thought anything that old would have disappeared by now," asked Anne taking Sirius's hand in hers, whose eyes had dropped to the book he had been using as a pillow, at the mention of James and Lily. Anne looked at Remus, her eyes widening, asking him to continue with her eyes.  
  
"Some of it was in the Room of Requirement, and the rest was at Black Manor," he answered. "Arthur wasn't too happy that I came here instead of helping him, I think he needs someone to talk to about all this," he said, "although you should have seen him barge in and demand a portkey to get me here immediately," he said chuckling.  
  
"I can imagine," said Sirius looking up, laughing. Arthur could be quite stubborn when he wanted to be. "I'm sure he'll forget all about it when we find Ginny," he added.  
  
"I also spoke to Dumbledore, he said if we need it we have the Order at our disposal," he said, smiling at Sirius and Anne's shocked expressions.  
  
"Wow!" they both exclaimed. "He'd do that?" asked Anne at the same time as Sirius. They looked at each other at that, smiling a little self consciously.  
  
Remus hid a smile. Things had worked out exactly as he'd planned.  
  
"That sounds like Dumbledore," continued Sirius smiling at Anne.  
  
"Yeah, well, he said Tonks was available if we needed her. It was a genuine offer, and one we may very well need before this is over," finished Remus.  
  
"Tonks eh?" grinned Sirius, looking wide awake all of a sudden.  
  
Remus just ignored him.  
  
"You may be right," said Anne, still thinking about what Dumbledore had offered.  
  
~*~  
  
"So what do you think?" asked Malfoy.  
  
"It's uncanny. I've never this in action before. I'm impressed," quipped Adam lolling against the doorframe of the study.  
  
"Well, I've been wanting to use this for a long time. And this way, it means so much pain for the poor little Weasel," Malfoy smirked maliciously.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Adam questioned him again.  
  
"Yes. I know it's the ultimate price to pay, but it's not like you're going to kill me or anything – I can handle the Cruciatus. But you have to hold your end of the bargain. They both must die."  
  
"They will, don't worry."  
  
~*~  
  
There was a peaceful silence hanging over the room, only the turning of pages from the three Ministry employees that were going through the documentation that Ron and Hermione had brought back with them could be heard, whilst Anne, Sirius and Remus were going through the research they had started over twenty years ago.  
  
There was an occasional noise coming from one of the Dark Detector's and quiet chatter amongst the people watching them.  
  
"How's Harry holding up?" Remus asked.  
  
"As well as can be expected, I guess, but honestly, not very well," said Anne. "We sent him, Ron and Hermione back to Emily's dorm room to get some sleep - they were all exhausted."  
  
"You two should try and get some sleep too," said Remus, "we don't know how long this is going to take," he managed to get out, before there was a loud squealing noise coming from all of the Dark Detectors. Anne, Sirius and Remus jumped up from the table and ran across the room to where Jimmy was frantically trying to get a lock on where it was coming from.  
  
"What have you got Jimmy?" asked Anne quickly.  
  
"I'm not sure yet," he said. "Whatever it is, it's effecting the wards that are keeping Malfoy's location Unplottable again."  
  
"Have you figured out what's causing it?" asked Remus.  
  
Jimmy turned around, his face impassive; it was a little intimidating to have the three of them looking at him so intently. It made him just a little bit more nervous than if he was just talking to Anne. Sirius was such a brooding character, and as tall as Remus was, Jimmy still didn't know what to make of him - except that he seemed much quieter than Sirius Black.  
  
"I believe I have," Jimmy explained slowly.  
  
"Well, what the bloody - " started Sirius, before Jimmy bravely interrupted him.  
  
"Mr Black, I didn't want to give you false information, so I've spent the last couple of hours not only double checking my research, but having someone else simultaneously check it as well, to save us time. Just to make sure. And the reason I've been even more thorough than usual is because of what I've found out."  
  
Anne, Sirius and Remus stared down at Jimmy, waiting for his explanation.  
  
"I believe the cause of the disruption of the wards that make Malfoy's Unplottable location vulnerable... is a Dementor."  
  
There was silence as the three of them took in what they'd just heard. Sirius was still - only for a moment - then he leapt up from his chair and started pacing, running his hands nervously through his hair.  
  
"And there's something else that's unusual too," began Jimmy again, a little more confident now that Sirius didn't look like he was going to bite his head off, "it's being summoned."  
  
"What?!" exclaimed Sirius, Anne and Remus together incredulously.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Are you kidding?"  
  
"This is unbelievable!"  
  
Jimmy had been expecting this sort of reaction from them. It had been unbelievable, even to him - and he still had trouble swallowing it.  
  
"It's the only explanation that makes any sense," said Jimmy continuing. "You said before that Adam was the sole surviving descendant of Habib Hunderbab right?" Three heads nodded at him numbly. "I took the liberty of having a look at some of the research that was brought up from the Archives, as well as what you brought with you from London Mr Lupin..."  
  
"Jimmy, I think it would be okay if you called my friends by their first names, and Harry and his friends too," smiled Anne wearily.  
  
"Of course... umm Remus then," Jimmy went on. "I went downstairs to the Archivist, Mr James Weatherby, and asked him to cross reference any occurrence of an Unplottable area being detected, with anything that might cause the disruption of the magic keeping an area Unplottable to begin with. He wasn't able to find any instance of anyone discovering an Unplottable area or one being detected by our detectors, but he located some information on what might cause the magic to become vulnerable. The trouble was, this information went missing about 20 years ago and hasn't been seen since. In fact, Mr Weatherby couldn't account for why it wasn't in his archives – and he pretty much knows every book and piece of research in that place."  
  
Anne, Sirius and Remus were listening raptly, waiting patiently for Jimmy to get to the point. Jimmy sensed this and continued.  
  
"Anyway, it turns out that 21 years ago, a Professor Dumbledore of Hogwarts had visited and had been searching for this sort of information. It turns out that he made a request to the Minister for Magic at the time and was allowed, amazingly, to remove the research from our Archives. It was never returned, which is unusual, because I've heard that Professor Dumbledore is quite meticulous about that sort of thing."  
  
Sirius and Remus were completely dumbstruck at this piece of news. Anne would have laughed if the situation weren't so serious, so she merely smiled.  
  
"So, I gather then Jimmy, that you managed to locate this research amongst what Remus brought back with him then? Well, I guess that means that the information can finally be returned to our archives then can't it?" said Anne humorously.  
  
"I knew it!" said Remus suddenly. "I knew there was something in our research that would help us. I knew it, I just didn't know what it was. We did so much obscure research back then - on Dumbledore's orders of course - and I had a feeling it would help us now. Don't ask me how," he directed Sirius's way, when Sirius looked at him about to ask the question, "I've no idea."  
  
"Must be that women's intuition thing, eh Remus?" joked Anne.  
  
Remus ignored the friendly jab and asked the next obvious question. "So Jimmy. Have you managed to pinpoint this location yet?"  
  
~*~  
  
"Move away," a voice commanded from behind the Dementor.  
  
Ginny had had an awful couple of hours. Adam kept bringing the Dementor in and just leaving it as a presence in the room. It had drained her completely, having to stave off the horrors that kept repeating themselves around in her brain.  
  
So when she heard that voice, she thought it might just have been her mind playing tricks on her. She knew that voice; she had heard it a million times before, in her dreams and countless times over the last few weeks. It was Harry. Harry was here to rescue her, just like she'd known he would.  
  
"Harry?" she whispered. "Is that you?"  
  
"Yes it's me," said Harry, rushing over to Ginny and removing the bonds that held her. As soon as she was free she threw herself at him, holding onto him as if her life depended on it. He put his arm around her to comfort her.  
  
"Gin, Gin we have to go before Adam comes back," he said. "Can you walk?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so," she replied. "Are the others here?"  
  
"No, they're back at the dorm, searching for information on Malfoy and Adam," he said taking Ginny's hand and leading her over towards the door.  
  
"Okay," she said surprised. It must have taken Harry a lot to stop Ron and Hermione coming as well. "Is there anyone else here?" she asked.  
  
"Only Malfoy, I stunned him on my way in, I'm not sure about Adam, we'll have to be careful," he said before asking. "Do you have your wand?"  
  
"No, it was the first thing they took from me," she said. "How are we getting out of here?" she asked, suddenly worried.  
  
"What makes you think your going anywhere Weasley, Potter?" came a voice from behind them. Before they had a chance to do anything, Adam had conjured ropes, bound them and levitated Ginny back to the seat she was sitting in before and bound her again.  
  
"We can't have you escaping just yet," said Adam, "you haven't seen the show." He sneered as he walked slowly towards them.  
  
"Let. Him. Go," she said slowly, trying not to give into her anger, in case he did anything to hurt Harry.  
  
"Now, now Weasley, don't get angry... it won't do poor Potter here any good," he said, pulling a scarf out of his pocket and gagging her. "And we can't have you suddenly talking back now can we?" his voice dripping with sarcasm, "not that it would do you any good, come to think of it, coming from a mudblood lover like you."  
  
"It's okay Ginny, stay calm," Harry, said soothingly, whilst Adam conjured a second chair moved Harry into it, facing it towards Ginny. Adam then walked over to Ginny and punched her in the face knocking her unconscious, then he turned to Harry and just... smiled.  
  
~*~  
  
It was dark, and cold, she was shivering from the chill in the air. Where was she? Ginny searched her mind to find any memory of where she was. She was dizzy... why? She had blacked out, but couldn't quite remember how it had happened.  
  
Harry!  
  
That was it! He was here... then Adam came... oh God! She gingerly opened her eyes. Looking back at her were Harry's emerald green eyes. He was talking to her, trying to rouse her awake, shaking her slightly. Ginny dimly noted that he wasn't tied up anymore and her brain was struggling to comprehend how this had happened.  
  
"Come on Gin. Wake up," he was whispering.  
  
"Harry?" she asked again.  
  
"Potter, what are you doing?" came the angry call from across the room.  
  
"Ginny run! Run as fast as you can and don't look back, okay?" cried Harry urgently, pulling her up from her sitting position and propelling her in front of him. "Come on!" he yelled pulling her as he ran past her, away from Adam.  
  
"Crucio!" yelled Adam. The curse hit Ginny square on her back and she fell to the ground, screaming in pain.  
  
"GINNY!" cried Harry, turning around and running back to Ginny, The curse had been lifted, but she was still in pain. "We have to keep going, can you walk?" he asked helping her to her feet. It was slow going. They slipped out into the hallway, Harry locking the door behind him with several locking charms. Ginny was struggling to run and could only just walk. It seemed as though everything was happening in slow motion, although mere seconds had passed.  
  
They could hear Adam undoing the charms that Harry had just placed on the door. He was catching up... she knew it was over when she heard Adam yelled the words she feared the most...  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" 


	20. To the Rescue

Chapter 20

**To the Rescue**

~*~

"Hey, hey!  Guys, look what I just found," whispered Fred to the three occupants of the room that weren't asleep.  Phil, Shane and Emily looked up from the lounge room floor towards Fred who was in the bedroom with his laptop.

"What?" asked Phil moving into the bedroom.

"Well, I backtracked a bit to see if I could find a local address for Adam.  And I found one.  His _home _address," replied Fred excitedly.  "I think we should go check it out.  See if we find anything that might help us find Ginny.  What do you think?" asked Fred looking at Emily.

"What about our guards?" Phil asked nodding to indicate the front door where the Aurors were stationed, in the hallway and in the street.

"Give me a minute," said Emily getting up and walking over to the guards.  She returned a few minutes later smiling.

"Why do you look like the cat that swallowed the cream?" said Shane smirking.

"Well, amazingly, I've managed to convince two of them to come with us.  Two are going to stay here and keep an eye on our sleeping beauties over there," she said pointing to Ron, Hermione and Harry who were asleep in the middle of the lounge room, fully clothed, in sleeping bags.

"What about your mum Em?" asked Fred.  "What if she turns up and we're not here?" 

"We could leave a note," suggested Phil lamely, but before anyone could reply, the door to the main door opened, they heard footsteps, quiet whispers and then Anne appeared in the bedroom doorway. 

~*~

_Ten minutes earlier…_

"No, Sirius, I won't have it!" said Anne determinedly, standing her ground against Remus and Sirius.

They had been arguing for about 10 minutes now – about whether Harry, Ron and Hermione should come along on the raid of Malfoy's place.  And Anne was adamant that the Ministry had already disallowed this course of action.  They were grateful for their assistance and co-operation, but felt they should handle this by themselves, without the assistance of the international visitors, including Sirius and Remus.

"Anne, this isn't your decision to make.  Your boss can say what he likes, but whether or not you agree to it, Remus and I are coming along, and Harry, Ron and Hermione are coming with us," countered Sirius heatedly.

"Sirius, this is official…" began Anne, before she was interrupted.

"Anne, think about this," interrupted Remus gently, "you really can't expect us just to sit back and watch it all play out without helping.  Malfoy is, after all, an English national.  He's technically our problem."

"Good point Mooney," said Sirius smugly.  "Hadn't thought of that."

"That's why I'm here Padfoot…" replied Remus, smirking.  They were such a pair; even in the face of another serious threat, they had always found comfort in bantering with each other.  It was comfortable; safe.

Anne gritted her teeth.  "You really want me to get into trouble don't you?" she asked, raising her voice, looking directly at Sirius.

"Anne," said Remus, "you know we know where they are.  There isn't a single Auror, no offence, that could possibly stop us, especially Sirius, who can turn into a dog," he said bluntly.  He crossed his fingers that he could still make her smile after all these years.

Anne stood there, her mouth twitching, using all the strength she could muster not to smile or laugh.  They were _such_ a pair.

"Anne," intoned Sirius quietly, trying to be the mediator for a change, "this isn't your fight, and you know it."

Anne looked at him uncomprehendingly.  "How can you say that?  After what I've suffered at Voldemort's hands."  Anne's voice quivered and her lips trembled.

"This is their fight, and they've earned the right to see it through to the end.  Sirius is right," Remus looked at them both carefully.

"Well, you would side with him, being of the canine persuasion wouldn't you?"

"That's not fair Anne," replied Remus, his voice hurt and quiet.  "I came here to help and support _everyone_.  You, Sirius _an__d_ Harry.  Voldemort may have been just as much your fight as everyone else's, but Draco is Harry's nemesis, and Ron's.  It's not your decision to make.  It _must_ be theirs."

Remus walked away from Sirius and Anne and moved to where Jimmy was standing; silent and wary of this small, but powerful, group of personalities.

Anne was stubbornly not looking at Sirius.  Sirius moved to stand closer to her.

"Are you going to be stubborn all night, or do I have to send you to detention like a little girl?" Sirius knew he was treading dangerous ground with Anne, but he would risk everything to help Harry.  He hadn't realised she could be this _stubborn_, and although he didn't want to risk their relationship – she meant too much to him – he would not let Harry down now.

Anne shifted her stance, bringing her gaze up to meet his.  She looked away immediately, uncomfortable with the fact that they weren't agreeing for the first time since he'd arrived.

"Anne?" Sirius questioned again.  He took another step closer to her and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle tug, getting her attention once more.

"What?" Anne snapped grumpily.  Sirius said nothing; just held her gaze steadily and did what he knew Anne often did for him… waited until she was ready to verbalise whatever was going on in her head.  Patience had never been his strongsuit, so he was amazed that he was being patient now.

"I just… I just don't want to lose him," Anne whispered into the quiet room, "not now I've just found him again."

"I know you don't, but neither does Arthur want to lose his daughter, or his son and future daughter-in-law.  Remus doesn't want to lose Harry, any more than I do.  We all feel the same way Anne, but you know I'm right.  This isn't your decision, it's Harry's, _and_ Ron and Hermione's, and you know they won't stay behind.  Harry and Ron are both Auror's.  Hermione is one of the most brilliant witches today.  They are as well trained as you.  You _can't_ protect people from the choices they make Anne.  All you can do is support their decision – the best way you know how - by helping them get Malfoy and Adam."

Anne was quiet for a moment before… "Shit!" Anne burst out suddenly.

"Yes," replied Sirius innocently, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Alright, I give in," muttered Anne.

"Excellent choice," said Sirius cheekily saluting her.

"God damnit Sirius!" Anne was getting frustrated now.  "Be serious would you?"

"But I am Sirius," Sirius quipped back at her.  And before she could say anything else, he silenced her with a tender, lingering kiss.

Remus and Jimmy discreetly looked away in the other direction as if they were looking at the Dark Detectors, pretending not to notice the intimate exchange going on between Sirius and Anne.

Sirius slowly released her lips and against her mouth whispered, "I am being serious, he's my godson too you know."

Sirius leant his forehead against hers and took a deep breath.  "Any chance that I can convince _you_not to go?"

"Not a chance Mr Black.  I'm not leaving your side for a second," said Anne huskily.  "I have no intention of letting you out of my sight if I can help it."

Sirius shook his head.  "I think that's a brilliant idea, my love.  So I guess we're all going then?  Are you ready Moony?"

"Whenever you are Padfoot," came the steady response.

~*~

Anne, Sirius and Remus apparated to the alley beside the dorm rooms.  The Aurors at the Ministry of Magic were just waiting for a signal from Anne and they would appear at the designated point that Jimmy had identified earlier as being Malfoy's place.

The three of them had spent the ten minutes before leaving the Ministry strategising with the MLES on the best way to move in, undetected.  And now they were at the dorm rooms.

"Any chance they might not want to come?" joked Anne wryly.

"Pigs might fly backwards one day, but it won't be today," said Sirius following her up the stairs.

Anne lead the way to Emily's room, pausing in front of it.

"Now, I think you should prepare yourselves for what we might find in there," said Anne with a smile on her pretty face, as she looked at Sirius and Remus.

"What on earth are you talking about?" replied Sirius confused.

"Well, given that Ron and Hermione are already engaged, you know how close Fred and Emily have become, they are probably slee - "

"I think we can handle it Anne," said Remus quietly.  "Let's go."

Anne opened the door with her wand and the three of them stepped inside and closed the door.  The sight they were greeted with was a funny one - it was just the circumstances that weren't humorous.

The three of them hadn't even made it to their beds, and they obviously hadn't thought to transfigure anything into one.  Harry, Ron and Hermione had been so tired that they had fallen asleep on the floor.  They'd managed to crawl inside sleeping bags although they were still fully clothed.

Anne crossed the room to Emily's bedroom and peeked inside.  The boys and Emily were crowded around Fred's laptop, muttering and talking amongst themselves quietly, so as not to wake the others.

"Hey, how's it going?" asked Anne quietly.

"Oh, hi Mum, we're… um… still searching away.  What are you doing here?" replied Emily, glancing nervously sideways at the boys.

"Well, we've figured out where Malfoy's place is and we're going there in just a few minutes.  Sirius and Remus are just waking the others."

"What should we bring with us?" asked Fred standing up.

"What do you mean?" replied Anne confused.

"Well, we're coming too, so we want to be prepared," added Shane.

"Oh, no you're not," said Anne, her voice broking no arguments.

"Mum, you're kidding aren't you?  We've been up all night, we got you the information about Adam, we're just as much as part of this as Harry is!" cried Emily indignantly.

"No Emily, you aren't trained to handle this sort of fighting.  And don't give me 'you were top of your Defence class', this is different and you know it!" argued Anne.

The boys looked down at their shoes, not wanting to get in the middle of this, until Harry appeared in the doorway.

"Are you ready Anne?  We should get going."

"Just coming Harry, are Ron and Hermione ready?" she asked in a business-like manner.

"Yeah, we're just waiting on you."

"I'll be there in a minute."

Harry left and returned to the lounge room.

"What's going on in there?" asked Sirius, as Harry walked towards everyone.

"Emily and the boys want to come along, and Anne has said no," explained Harry.

"I'll go and have a talk to them, everyone else get downstairs.  We'll apparate from the alley," ordered Sirius.  He watched as Remus, Harry, Hermione and Ron left the room quietly, and then moved to Emily's bedroom doorway.

"Emily, I know you want to help, but your Mum is right, the safest place for all of you is here, under the protection of the Aurors that are staying here to guard you," Sirius spoke strongly as he moved into the room.

"But won't you need _all_ the Aurors to take Malfoy's place?" enquired Shane.

"Not all of them, no.  This will be a subtle and quiet attack.  With any luck they won't know what's hit them," responded Anne, getting impatient.

"Boys, Em, I'm sorry, but we will be facing enough unknowns without having to worry about protecting you four as well.  And even though you're a witch Emily, the boys cannot possibly protect themselves.  You're staying.  And that's the end of this discussion.  We have to go."  Anne moved out of the room and Sirius, with a final look at the foursome, followed.

~*~

_"Avada Kedavra!"_

"Noooooooooooooooooo!" cried Ginny as she turned and saw Harry struck by the evil green light from Adam's wand.  It was like she was frozen in time.  She couldn't move and Harry looked… surprised that he had been struck.  And as she watched, he crumpled to the floor in a heap.

Ginny rushed to his side, and rolled him over on to his back, sobbing.

"Harry… no… it can't be…" she whimpered in defeat.  She couldn't run anymore, it was over.  She slumped over Harry's body, clutching him fiercely, tears slipping down her cheeks unchecked.

Adam stood over them both, victorious.  He had done it!

Adam watched Ginny uncaringly.  She was weeping… well too bad.  It was time she was imprisoned again.  He pulled her up to her feet and started to drag her away, but Ginny fought back.

"NO!  Leave me alone!  Harry, Harry!!" she cried, hysterical, not wanting to leave him alone.  She kicked out at Adam and he only just managed to hold on to her; she wriggled, fought, punched and kicked like a wildcat; Adam didn't get a chance to grab his wand to immobilise her, he just grabbed her more viciously and, despite her struggles, managed to drag her back to the room in which she had been imprisoned and shoved her unceremoniously inside.

He placed several locking charms on her room; _God she was making a racket._

~*~

Ginny stumbled into her prison and fell hard on the floor.  She was up in a flash, racing to the door and banging on it as if her life depended on it.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!  HARRRRRYYYY!  No!  Adam!  You can't do this… let me go, please let me go to him!" Ginny cried angrily. 

Her head was pounding… _Harry, please, don't be dead… don't be dead… it's not possible… I can't lose you, not now…_ Ginny's mind was a confusing mass of thoughts, feelings and images of Harry.  She felt rather strange, as if she wasn't in her body… like this wasn't really happening… moments later she slid down the wall and fell into unconsciousness.

~*~

Adam came by the room a short while later.  It was quiet now.  Ginny had finally stopped kicking and pounding on the door.  That was a relief.  It had been annoying the hell out of him.

He had just removed Harry's body to another part of Draco's mansion.  The further away from Ginny his body was the better.

He unlocked the door and stepped inside.  Ginny was in a heap against the wall opposite the door.  Ginny was curled up in the foetal position, silent.  There was no movement, no sound.

He didn't see the point in binding her again… she was defeated, and without her wand, she was defenceless.  He knew it, and she knew it.  She didn't even raise her head as he walked across the room to her.  It was as though all life had gone from her; as if… without Harry there was no will to live.  And Adam felt a grim sort of satisfaction as he watched her, pathetic and beaten.

~*~

"Okay, that's _IT!_" yelled Emily as soon as her mum had left the dorm room.  "She's _my _friend too, come on," said Emily jumping up grapping her cloak and storming outside to the remaining Aurors.  The boys followed her quickly.

"_We_ are still going out, if you wish to follow us… feel free, however****if **_one_** word of this gets back to mum…" Emily left the statement unfinished, letting them think up the worst scenario.

"Our assignment is to protect you," stated Fraser formally, "If you go anywhere we have no choice but to follow you."

~*~

Ten minutes later… 

Emily and the boys arrived at Adam's house, with two Aurors.  Without a word to the Aurors and Emily started to cast revealing spells to see if anything would hinder their entering inside.

"Excuse me Emily, but perhaps we should do this," suggested Fraser, the Auror in charge of their protection.  Fraser and Sean, the other Auror, stepped back and cast a multitude of spells that Emily had never heard before.  After a minute or two, they lowered their wands.

"All clear," advised Fraser.

Emily nodded and proceeded.  "_Alohomora_."  The front door swung open silently, and everyone stepped inside.  Emily turned to everyone.  "Okay, let's split up.  Fraser if you could go with Phil, and Sean could you go with Shane?  Fred and I will stick together, that way, everyone's got magical protection.  Is that okay Fraser?"

Fraser nodded his head in agreement, silently impressed with Emily's thinking.  She was going to be like her mum.  "Hang on a sec.  Emily, do you know how to reveal Dark shields?"

"Yeah," replied Emily.

"Do them continuously, we don't know what Adam has left behind," cautioned Fraser.

The group split up.  Luckily for them it was just a regular sized house and within a few minutes there was a cry from Phil.

"Emily, everyone, come quickly!  I think I've found something."

Everyone ran to the sound of Phil's voice.  He was in a room that had been set up like an office at one point.  It didn't look as though Adam had been here for a while, by the sheen of dust that was laying over everything.  Phil was gripping something tightly in his hand, excitement lighting his face.

"What is it?" asked Emily out of breath as she ran into the room.

"It's an address and I think this is where Ginny is!" said Phil urgently.

Fraser stepped up to Phil and took the piece of parchment from his hands, cast a few spells over it and turned to Emily.  Sean stood in the hallway, keeping an eye out – just in case.

"Well, it's an original.  It hasn't been tampered with and it doesn't appear to be fake - " before Emily interrupted him.

"So let's go, quickly."  In the blink of an eye, they were out in the street deciding how best to get there.

Despite the early hour, a taxi drove around the corner and Emily flagged it down.  They all got in, including the Aurors, who weren't going anywhere without them, telling the driver to drop them off a block away from where Draco and Adam were holding Ginny.  

_'With any luck we'll be there on time,'_  Emily thought.

~*~

Anne came around the corner to find everyone waiting for her.  As one they turned when they heard her footsteps and waited in silence.  Without another word they all pulled their wands and apparated to their destination.

~*~

Sirius and Remus had already briefed Ron, Hermione and Harry on what was going to happen and how they were going to enter the mansion undetected.

Once Jimmy had discovered the location of Malfoy's place, they had quickly found blueprints in the archives for the floor plan and from there they had worked out a strategy.  With the help of the Aurors, as a whole unit, everyone was going to cast a series of extremely complex charms over the mansion, which would allow them to enter undetected.  It would also show them, at a glance – and only once – where people were within the building itself.  After this, they could then determine exactly who would go where.

With everyone spread out around the mansion, it took them a full five minutes of concentrated effort to cast the charms.  But it worked.  Within seconds of completing the spell a map appeared in front of each of them, showing them how many people were inside.  It was a temporary version, in a way, of the Marauders Map.  They could each see the same thing.

Everyone ran quietly out the front where Anne was waiting, the image of the mansion hovering in front of her soundlessly.

In the middle of the mansion was a big room with someone up against the wall.  In the far south corner was another person, in the middle of the room.  And in the room next to the big one in the middle, someone was pacing.

"Harry, you, Ron and Hermione take the room in the middle," said Anne, looking around the team of Aurors and friends that were assembled around her.  "I'm guessing that's where Ginny is.  Sirius, Remus, we'll take the person in the south corner room and the other Aurors, you take the other one.

"Now before we go in we should all cast the Communication Charm on ourselves.  Only use it if you need help or when you've got Adam and Draco in custody.  Harry, when you find Ginny, get the hell out of there at once.  Okay.  Everyone, you know what to do.  Let's go."

~*~

"Did you see that?" whispered Emily from their hiding place across the road in the bushes.  "What was that?"

Sean answered her.  "It's a complicated revealing spell that Anne helped us create a while ago.  It's been damn useful I can tell you.  It breaks down any Dark protective anti-entry spells and also shows, temporarily, where people are inside.  Fraser, did you memorise the locations of the people inside?"

"Yes, you?"  Sean nodded.  "Okay, let's follow them, but split up like we did at Adam's place."

Everyone nodded, and as the Ministry of Magic team moved around to different entry points of the house, they all quietly stepped out onto the sidewalk.

~*~

Harry, Hermione and Ron stood together near a side window.  On Anne's instructions, they had already decided not to apparate directly into the mansion, in case there were problems that the revealing spell hadn't shown them.  The idea was to approach by stealth and muggle means, not to apparate amongst everything.  They were all to cast spells to reveal Dark shields as they went, as a precaution.

They stood together facing the window, holding hands, in a row.

"It's time Harry," whispered Hermione.

Harry nodded, let go of her hand and proceeded to unlock the window.  _"Alohomora."_

There was a click and Harry lifted the window up soundlessly.

~*~

In similar fashion, Sirius, Anne and Remus stood together outside the window nearest the south corner room where another figure had been seen on the temporary map.  They held hands firmly, and with a nod from Anne, she squeezed Sirius's and Remus's hands and they proceeded.

~*~

Natasha, Geordie and John were on the other side of the house to everyone else.  They were entering through a side door.  They each took a deep breath and moved into the mansion.


	21. The Worst Kind of Memory

**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
  
**Authors Notes:** Hey everyone... Well I know this has been a long time coming... but here it is... I will give you a heads up... you might need tissues at the end of this chapter... :)  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed! We hope to hear what you think :) Rhiain & Carolyn  
  
** Chapter 21  
  
The Worst Kind of Memory****  
**  
_The sun was shining brightly, and the Great Hall looked magnificent. The enchanted ceiling reflected the weather outside, so that streams of sunshine filtered through to shine beams of light all over the hall. The hall had been set up as it had been for the Yule Ball that year. Small tables in place of the usual four house tables were scattered everywhere. Families of the seventh year students who were graduating, sat with their children.  
  
As everyone sat at their tables, Professor Dumbledore was making his end of year speech. Ginny looked around her table at the faces of her loved ones. Mum, Dad, Ron and Hermione, Harry sat to her right, of course. Bill and Charlie had been unable to attend, but Percy and Penelope were there, as were the twins and Kate and Angelina.  
  
Ginny looked down at her hand, entwined in Harry's, before glancing up to see his eyes fixed on her. She smiled at him shyly. She still had to pinch herself that they were boyfriend and girlfriend - even after two years it still struck her as amazing. And wonderful. She loved him with her whole heart and she knew he felt the same way.  
  
As she continued to gaze unabashedly at Harry, he seemed to change. He looked fuzzy and out of focus and he was fading away. She didn't understand. What was going on? She turned to everyone else to discover that they too, were vanishing right before her very eyes.  
  
Ginny began to panic. What was happening? She glanced around the Great Hall to discover that she was now alone. And it wasn't the Great Hall, but a dark room that was unfamiliar to her; and Harry was no longer with her.  
_  
Ginny tossed and turned as her dreams turned into the nightmare... the ones she had been trying all week to keep at bay. She struggled against them, trying to wake up. As she opened her eyes, they fell on the Dementor. She shrank back against the wall.  
  
She steeled her mind against the images she knew would permeate her brain, but there was just no hope against a Dementor whose job it was to suck out every happy thought you had, only to leave you with your worst memories.  
  
Ginny whimpered, tears silently making their way down her face. She tried to still the images, but they were relentless...  
  
_Neville on his knees before her, begging for his life... Ginny, impervious to his screams, killing him instantly.  
  
A hand ripping her clothing to violate her in the worst way possible... big, slimy hands touching her, tearing at her underwear, without regard.  
  
An ugly green light hitting Harry and killing him... Harry falling to the ground, lifeless. Ginny's screams as she was pulled away from him_.  
  
Ginny was crying silently. "No, please, not Harry. You can't take him away from me. Please don't," she begged in the silence of the room. Silent except for the rattly breath of the Dementor standing over her.

&&&&

Sirius, Remus and Anne crept through the room to the hallway, casting revealing spells all the way. They moved into the corridor and headed south towards the room that was their goal.  
  
The stood poised to defend themselves against whoever was in there.  
  
"I think some good ol' fashioned door kicking might be more appropriate," said Sirius, his voice quiet and threatening. "It will take whoever is in there by surprise. All together?"  
  
Anne and Remus nodded.  
  
"On three," began Sirius. "One, two three!"  
  
In unison, the trio turned sideways and raised a leg each and with all the force they could muster, kicked in the door, and raced in, wands at the ready.  
  
The room was dark, and the person in there, was on the floor, not moving.  
  
"_Lumos!_" spoke Remus quickly. Sirius and Anne followed his lead, and then they all stopped.  
  
Lying in a heap, in the middle of the room, was Harry.  
  
"Harry?" cried Sirius, rushing forwards to him.

&&&&

The three Aurors crept through the kitchen silently. They continued out into a hallway, that had several doors leading off it.  
  
There was no sound from behind the first door, or the second. However there was movement coming from behind the third door. This must be the person they had seen pacing on their temporary map.  
  
The footsteps stopped, as they paused outside. With a number of hand signals from John, they moved quietly back up the corridor where it was pitch black. They were going to wait for whoever was in there to leave the room, and follow him.  
  
They didn't have to wait for long. They heard footsteps coming towards the door and seconds later it opened.  
  
Adam turned away from the three Aurors and they breathed a collective sigh of relief, and after casting a few unobtrusive charms around themselves, they silently followed him.

&&&&

After climbing through the ground floor window, Harry, Hermione and Ron crept through the mansion, casting revealing charms every step of the way, to prevent being caught in any Dark shields.  
  
"We need to head towards the middle of the mansion," whispered Harry to the other two.  
  
"Harry, look," said Ron urgently, grabbing Harry's and Hermione's attention. "This corridor splits and goes in three directions."  
  
They all moved in single file down the corridor. When they reached the junction that Ron had seen from the room they had just come from, they paused. One of the corridors went right, one left, and the third went off on an angle.  
  
"I think we should take the middle one," said Hermione quietly.  
  
Harry and Ron both nodded, remaining silent. They all moved forward, treading softly, and after a minute of two they came to a lone door. It was the only door they had come across. Harry went to open it, when Hermione stopped him.  
  
"What?" said Harry, annoyed.  
  
"I just want you to be a little bit prepared for what we might find Harry," Hermione began tentatively.  
  
"She's fine," said Ron adamantly.  
  
"And she might not be," insisted Hermione, ever sensible. She had watched them both be torn apart at losing Ginny a second time, both from different emotional points of view to be sure, but heartbreaking to watch nonetheless. "We don't know what she's been through since she was captured."  
  
"And the longer we discuss this Hermione, the worse she might be," snapped Harry, gritting his teeth. "I'm going in. Just be ready to back me up if I need it."  
  
He moved to the door again and tried the handle. As he expected, it was locked. He tried "_Alohomora_" and that didn't work. He and Ron went through the usual array of charms to get through whatever barriers were still in place, and eventually they heard a click and the door opened a fraction.  
  
Harry moved into the room quietly, his senses alert for anyone else in the room other than Ginny. Hermione followed and Ron, rather unwillingly, stood guard at the door.  
  
Harry's eyes swept the room; it was dark and he quickly noted that there was no other way out. And then his eyes fell on a small heap curled up against the wall.  
  
_Ginny._  
  
Harry stood transfixed for a mere second, before crossing the room in a flash to kneel down beside her. He chocked back a sob as he looked at her, tears springing up in his eyes instantly. She looked... beaten, destroyed. Her hair was unkempt and tangled, and as he gently brushed her hair out of her face with his fingers, he looked down into her small, pretty face and noted with anger that they'd beaten her. There were bruises showing around her cheek and eyes and she was pale and tear streaked. He couldn't bear to think what they'd done to her. He only hoped it wasn't permanent. He couldn't bear it if...  
  
He started to feel cold and clammy, and couldn't understand why he would feel like that. His head started to swim with the images of Ginny's rape - the ones he'd unwillingly conjured up in his sleep since she'd told him. He shook his head to clear it, but something was wrong... he could hear his mother's screams again... Harry turned to Hermione to tell her something was wrong, and the look of horror on her face was enough to confirm that the Dementor that Adam had somehow conjured up, was in the room.  
  
He turned on his knees and slumped onto the floor, the Dementor already draining him of energy. He pulled his wand to summon his Patronus...

&&&&

_"Harry?" cried Sirius, rushing forwards to him._  
  
"Harry? Oh my God, what happened?" Sirius knelt down, pulled Harry into his lap, holding him close. His brain whirled with questions.  
  
"How did he get here? He was supposed to be heading towards the middle room with Ron and Hermione," said Sirius, shaking his head, his eyes welling with tears. His head hung on his chest, which heaved with the grief that was welling up inside him.  
  
Anne and Remus stood silently, Remus pulling Anne in close to him as she cried into his robe.  
  
Remus was too shocked by the events to think clearly. But as he stood there watching Sirius clutching Harry, something caught his eye. Harry's hair was changing colour. Remus released his hold on Anne, comprehension coming to him quickly.  
  
"Anne?" whispered Remus to Anne. "Anne, look at Harry."  
  
Anne opened her eyes, the hopeful tone in his voice getting her attention. She turned in Remus's arms and looked at Harry. She glanced at Remus in wonder. Harry's body had changed. "Draco?" she whispered, incredulous. Remus nodded.  
  
She knelt down to Sirius and placed her hand on his arm. "Sirius?" Anne shook him slightly.  
  
Sirius raised red rimmed eyes to hers, not really focusing on her at all.  
  
"Sirius, it's not Harry," Anne whispered gently.  
  
"What?'" whispered Sirius, not understanding what she was saying, at first.  
  
"It's not Harry. It's Draco Malfoy."  
  
Sirius looked down, and sure enough, Anne was right. It wasn't Harry anymore. It was Draco Malfoy. Sirius looked up at Remus and Anne, not comprehending what the hell was going on. Sirius gently lowered Draco to the floor and stood up, his legs still shaking from the shock he'd received.  
  
"He must have had some polyjuice potion with some of Harry in it. You said he'd been following Harry around the world," Remus volunteered, looking at Sirius, trying to come to grips with what might have happened.  
  
"Well, I don't think this is what he was planning when he took the potion. Do you think the potion was fatal somehow?" queried Anne.  
  
"No," said Sirius, looking down at Malfoy, disgust flitting across his drawn features. "Adam betrayed him. That's my bet."  
  
"Well, we can't help him now, and he certainly can't do any more damage, so let's just go and find the others and see if they need any help. Adam's still in here somewhere, and still a very real threat," said Anne worriedly, "and he obviously has no compunction about killing to satisfy his own evil ends."

&&&&

John, Geordie and Natasha were creeping behind Adam, not making a sound.  
  
Adam worked purposefully towards the centre of the mansion. He was obviously going to check on Ginny.  
  
Each Auror wondered where Malfoy might be hiding. They were passing so many corridors, that it seemed as if the mansion just went on for ever.

Hermione was frozen to the spot. Dementors didn't affect her the way the affected Harry, or even Ginny.  
  
"Ron," called Hermione, "Ron!"  
  
Ron turned from watching the corridor and faced the room. Before Hermione could blink, Ron had drawn his wand and cast his Patronus.  
  
_"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"  
_  
Before Voldemort had been destroyed, and the Dementors along with him, the Auror Division would often come across Dementors during the war. Expecto Patronum, therefore, came easily to an Auror.  
  
An eagle shot out of Ron's wand and headed straight for the Dementor, which backed away from Harry and Ginny immediately.  
  
_"Lumos,"_ said Hermione. She searched the room quickly, found a light switch and flicked the room's lights on so that they could see. It didn't matter if they were discovered now, they needed to defend themselves against this Dementor first and foremost.  
  
Ron moved to the centre of the room and fired off another Patronus at the Dementor, trying to steer it away from Harry and Ginny.  
  
"Hermione, get everyone here now!" cried Ron urgently. "We need to contain this thing and get everyone out. Harry and Ginny aren't going to last long with this thing around. I'll drive it out of here."  
  
Hermione, steeling herself against the Dementors affects, pointed her wand to her throat and incanted the charm, calling to everyone.

&&&&

_In the meantime... despite the fact that Emily, the boys and Aurors had split up, as they'd seen the main group do..._  
  
Emily and Fred turned a corner and heard footsteps. They froze. Emily pushed Fred behind her to protect him.  
  
"Emily!" Fred grumbled.  
  
"Shut up and stay behind. You can't protect yourself in here," snapped Emily.  
  
The corridor was very dark and they waited in silence, Emily with her wand, ready for anything. As the footsteps got closer, they could hear whispering.  
  
"Fraser?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"How long did -"  
  
"Hang on... shush, I think..." Fraser cast a few charms to determine what was in front on him. _"Lumos."_  
  
"Phil? Fraser?" called Emily hesitantly.  
  
Fraser and Phil moved down the hallway towards them, Phil looking extremely relieved.  
  
"Well, so much for splitting up," remarked Fraser wryly, smiling at Emily.  
  
"I know, but actually I feel better now that you're here," she replied.  
  
"Oh, thanks Em!" Fred said indignantly.  
  
"Oh hush you. You know what I mean. I don't know everything that Fraser does."  
  
"Well, let's keep going. I gather you haven't found anyone yet?" Emily and Fred shook there heads. "Well, we just passed a small corridor back a bit, let's go back and see where it goes. This place is such a maze... it doesn't feel like a mansion, more like a command centre," Fraser mused.  
  
They all turned back and proceeded down the corridor that Fraser had mentioned, and before they had got too far, they heard footsteps coming towards them.  
  
_"Nox,"_ whispered Fraser. The group stood silent, up against the wall of the corridor and waited, Fraser in the lead, wand drawn.  
  
As the footsteps came closer Fraser stepped into the middle of the corridor, lit his wand and prepared to face down whoever it was.  
  
Emily, Phil and Fred held their breath, Emily waiting to see if she could help.  
  
"Fraser? It's me Sean, and Shane."  
  
Fraser, Emily, Fred and Phil let out a collective sigh of relief.  
  
"Well, I must say, this is actually pretty funny. I can't believe that we split up, only to come across each other. And in a place as huge as this," Fred grinned at everyone.  
  
Everyone smiled, until they heard a voice, a female voice cry out.

&&&&

"Sirius, Remus, Anne, WE NEED YOU HERE. NOW!" cried Hermione, trying to quell the panic that was rising within her. It was unreasonable, she knew, but she hadn't been this close to a Dementor since her third year at Hogwarts, and try as she might, she was already reliving her parents' death in her mind. 'WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE ROOM, JUST FOLLOW MY VOICE!"

&&&&

"That was Hermione," said Emily. "Quick, let's go!"  
  
She turned and ran in the direction of Hermione's voice.

&&&&

The moment Hermione had called, **_everyone_** responded. Sirius, Remus and Anne, ran out of the room, leaving Draco's body behind and bolted towards the middle of the mansion, following their instincts as well as Hermione's voice.  
  
The three Aurors following Adam stopped in their tracks the second they heard Hermione's voice. Adam's steps faltered and he turned in a circle on the spot looking around. But not seeing anyone, he started to run.  
  
The Aurors followed, not concerned if he saw them or not. They rounded a corner, with Adam still in front. They could see light spilling from a doorway, and a Dementor being backed out of it.  
  
Adam went to draw his wand...  
  
_"Expelliarmus!"_ cried Natasha the instant she saw Adam go for his wand.  
  
Adam's wand flew out of his hand and he turned in surprise, not having realised anyone else was there.  
  
_"Petrificus Totalus!"_ John shouted.  
  
Adam froze where he was standing and fell flat on his back.  
  
As they approached Adam, they heard running footsteps and Sirius, Remus and Anne bolted around another corner into view.  
  
"I'll move Adam to the front door," advised Geordie, wanting to get him out of the way, in case anyone stepped on him. She had just seen the Dementor backing out of the doorway, and reacted quickly to move him out of harms way. _"Mobiliscorpus,"_ she incanted, using her wand to direct Adam's body down the hallway towards the front of the mansion.  
  
Sirius pulled up short when he saw the Dementor. He'd never been good with the Patronus charm as he was too easily affected by Dementors, given the horrors of his past association with them. So he did what he did best; morphed into Padfoot and kept running. He ran circles around the Dementor, snarling and snapping, keeping it distracted whilst Ron kept pushing it back with his Patronus.  
  
Anne and Remus, seeing that Adam had been taken care of, moved into the room to see where everyone else was. And they came to a halt. Harry was lying limp on the floor with Hermione bent over him crying, a few feet away from Ginny. Ginny was slumped on the floor, unconscious.  
  
Anne went to Ginny immediately. _"Ennervate,"_ she whispered, pointing her wand at Ginny and watching her face for signs of life.  
  
Ginny's eyes slowly opened and focused on Anne. She tried to pull herself up into a sitting position, but collapsed again.  
  
"Ginny, stay still, it's alright. I don't know how long that Dementor has been here, but you're very weak. Here have some chocolate, that should help."  
  
Ginny tentatively took the chocolate and forced some into her mouth, it's sickly sweetness flooding her body and warming her instantly. Anne watched her carefully as Ginny took a deep, unsteady breath.  
  
"How did you get here?" Ginny asked, her voice tremulous and shaky.  
  
"Well, that's a long story actually. It can wait till later. But everyone came, we couldn't hold them back." Anne spoke with a smile in her voice.  
  
She looked over at Hermione who, although she looked rather pale and shaky, was cradling Harry in her arms. She floated some chocolate over to her, which Hermione immediately gave to Harry, who was struggling to regain consciousness, as well as taking some for herself.  
  
Remus stood there, relief flooding his heart that everyone was safe, at last.  
  
"Anne," interrupted John, "what would like us to do?"  
  
Anne paused for a moment thinking. "Get Adam back to the Ministry and in custody immediately. Take him to the Ministry as well, but don't notify his family until I get back there."  
  
John nodded and he and Natasha left to follow Anne's instructions.  
  
Anne turned back to Ginny, who was looking very fragile.  
  
"Where's Sirius?" asked Ginny, her voice trembling with emotion. "I need to speak to him."  
  
Anne was surprised. She'd've thought that Ginny would ask for Harry first, but she called to Sirius, who was still snarling at the Dementor down the hallway.  
  
"Padfoot!" called Anne. With the communication charm, he heard her, even though he was a fair way down the hallway.  
  
Padfoot bounded into the room, morphing back into Sirius once he got close to everyone.  
  
"Sirius, Ginny wants you," said Anne gently.  
  
Sirius knelt down before Ginny and took her hand in his, covering it and squeezing it gently. 'It's good to see you're okay Gin," Sirius said, smiling, relief heavy in his voice.  
  
"Sirius, I don't know how to say this," Ginny whispered, starting to cry again. She knew the tears would never stop. She could hardly get the words out.  
  
"Ginny, what's wrong?" Sirius, immediately concerned, looked to Anne for help. Anne just shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, also not knowing what was going on.  
  
Before Ginny could respond to Sirius's question, they all heard the thunder of footsteps coming down the hallway towards them. Remus and Ron whipped around, wands out... and into the room ran Emily, the boys and the Aurors assigned to protect them.  
  
They stopped suddenly and looked at the scene before them. Emily immediately moving into the room to see if Ginny was okay. Remus held her back.  
  
"No, Emily, just leave her for a bit. She's okay, but very fragile." Emily nodded and stayed near Remus.  
  
Ginny looked over at Emily, Remus and Ron, and then her gaze shifted back to Sirius, who just squeezed her hand comfortingly. "It's okay Ginny, whatever it is, you can tell us."  
  
"Harry's dead."  
  
The words hung in the air, thick as honey, until Sirius shook his head, not really understanding what she'd just said. Had he missed something? Again? He turned his head to the left. He could see Harry with Hermione and he was just pulling himself up into a sitting position.  
  
And then in a flash he remembered Draco in the far south room. _'Oh my God, that was what Draco had done'_. He'd changed into Harry, so that he had a new way to torment Ginny. Hate for the Malfoy family welled up inside him, as fresh as ever. He shut his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth, not wanting to let loose verbally, as much as he wanted to. He had to get his godson and future wife out of here and home... where they'd be safe... and together.  
  
Emily made a chocking noise and turned away.  
  
"Emily," Ron moved to her, enveloping her in his arms. She looked ready to cry and he sympathised with her right at that moment. Everything was so intense and he didn't entirely understand what was going on.  
  
"Ginny, Harry's not dead. He's right here..." Sirius started to explain, and then stopped. Ginny had just spotted Harry. He was standing up and moving towards them. He smiled at Harry, who smiled back and then focused on Ginny.  
  
"Hi Gin." Harry spoke gently as he crossed the space between them.  
  
As everyone watched, they all smiled, waiting for Ginny's reaction to seeing Harry again. But Sirius, Remus and Anne hadn't anticipated the depth of psychological damage that Ginny had suffered at the hands of Malfoy's deception.  
  
"No," she cried, "no, it's not true, YOU'RE DEAD!" Ginny stood up shakily, using the wall for support, backing away from Harry. "No, you're DEAD! I saw you die. You can't be him, you can't." Ginny kept repeating the words like a mantra, as if she was trying to protect herself from suffering his loss all over again. Tears poured down her face, fresh and unchecked. "You can't be him... you can't be..."  
  
She backed herself up into a corner, her expression one of confusion and fear.  
  
Harry initially stayed where he was, but he was so desperate to hold her and help her that he instinctively moved toward her. But the instant he moved Ginny became more and more hysterical, moving around the wall, to make sure this mirage didn't get any closer.  
  
Ginny's brain was fogging over, she was mumbling, as she slid down the wall, falling in a heap when she hit the floor.  
  
"Ginny, I'm not..." began Harry, looking lost, confused, not understanding what was going on. He took another step towards her.  
  
Ginny saw him move closer and as weak as she was, cried out again, "NO! Don't come near me, don't... stay away... you're not real... you're not... I saw you die..." Ginny's face was a mess of tears and edging on hysteria, when Anne moved towards her.  
  
"Ginny, Ginny, look at me honey." Anne spoke slowly and gently, not wanting to upset Ginny in the slightest. She moved closer.  
  
Ginny's sad, wet eyes searched blindly for the voice that was speaking, and found Anne.  
  
"Ginny, do remember who I am?" Ginny nodded. "You know I wouldn't hurt you, don't you?" Ginny nodded again. "Okay, good... you're not in any danger. Draco Malfoy is dead and we've got Adam in custody. You're safe now." She crouched down in front of Ginny, gently placing her hand on the leg that was closest to her - just wanting to slowly get inside her personal space again, without scaring her.  
  
Ginny whimpered silently, her chest heaving with sobs that were fighting to escape her chest.  
  
"Sirius, what the hell happened?" Harry whipped around to face his godfather, hurt, anguish and confusion showing in his exhausted features.  
  
"Draco took some Polyjuice potion to pretend to be you."  
  
Harry's mouth hung open slightly at this, as potential scenarios played out in his mind in the space of a few seconds.  
  
"I'm not sure what happened - Ginny can tell us later, when she's recovered from her ordeal somewhat - but Malfoy was killed. And I'm guessing from her reactions... that Adam killed him, in front of her."  
  
Harry closed his eyes, anger and hate crashing through his body in an instant.  
  
"Where is Adam?" he asked, barely restraining the anger he felt towards someone he'd never even met before.  
  
"He's in custody Harry. Don't worry, he's not going anywhere, except to jail where he'll be staying for the rest of his life," Sirius advised harshly.  
  
Anne, watching them from her position on the floor spoke up. "And no Harry, you won't be the one to interrogate him. Your part in all this is over. Let's just get out of here and we can sort everything out in the morning." She looked at her watch. It was 6.07am. They'd been up all night. No wonder she felt tired! "Well later today at any rate."  
  
"How are we going to contain the Dementor?" asked Remus, speaking for the first time since he'd entered the room.  
  
"We'll just seal him in a room, and guard it for the time being, in case it somehow gets out," Anne said somewhat wearily. She pointed her wand to her throat and spoke to Geordie and Natasha who were at the front of the mansion with Adam's body.  
  
"Geordie, can you please get back to the Ministry and get some fresh, wide awake Aurors to come and guard this place and the Dementor," Anne ordered.  
  
"What are we going to do about Ginny?" asked Emily tentatively.  
  
Everyone looked stumped momentarily, and then Anne spoke up.  
  
"I think we should show her Malfoy's body." Everyone looked mollified at this suggestion. Anne continued. "She's too traumatised by what she's seen - I think it's the only way she'll accept that Harry's not dead."  
  
Everyone looked at her - the suggestion seemed harsh given Ginny's present state of mind. But as they all stood there, Harry realised the truth in Anne's statement.  
  
"Anne, ask her what Malfoy was wearing. She still might not believe you, but clothes don't change with Polyjuice potion, just the physical features." Harry faced Anne, as she stood up again, leaving Ginny still on the floor, weeping. "Maybe if she sees Malfoy in the same clothes as she saw me in," Harry tried to make sense of it, "then if she sees me, as I am, then it might just trigger enough that she'll believe me."  
  
"Okay. Sirius, can you pick her up? Let's do this now before I get his body removed."  
  
Sirius looked at Anne curiously. They seemed such harsh, unfeeling words - especially when they came from Anne. He was definitely seeing the different aspects of her personality. He smiled to himself, as he moved to pick up Ginny, Anne was one hell of a lady. He considered himself very lucky.  
  
As Sirius lifted Ginny up off the floor, he shifted her around until he got her comfortable in his arms. She instinctively tucked herself into his body and slowly put her arms around his neck, still crying quietly.  
  
"It's okay Ginny. I've got you," Sirius whispered to her. "You're safe now."  
  
Harry stood by himself, watching Sirius lift Ginny into his arms, feeling... was it jealousy? _'That's ridiculous'_ he thought to himself. _'Get a grip Harry, it will all be over soon.'_ He turned away from the door... from everyone.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
Harry jumped at the sound of Anne's voice, as she moved in front of him. He smiled at her weakly, but Anne could see the tension in his stance.  
  
"Come on..." Anne began as she took his hand to follow Sirius.  
  
"I can't..." Harry was at a loss for words, his feet rooted to the floor.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Anne saw Sirius pause in the corridor, waiting for them. She gestured for him to wait a moment.  
  
Anne looked back at Harry. She thought actions might be more appropriate now, rather than adult wisdom. She moved closer and took him in her arms. After a moment, he relaxed and hugged her back, a tear trickling down his face.  
  
"I can't lose..." Harry chocked back the sob that was threatening to overwhelm him.  
  
"And you won't. You know it Harry. I know you do." Anne released him and looked up at him, compassion and love for her godson shining in her eyes. The Auror was gone, and just Anne remained.  
  
"I know you're all over the place emotionally, right now, but persevere and in a few minutes, Ginny will see that you're alive and everything will be okay. I promise you." Anne raised her eyebrows and said, laughter in her voice, "Now, you know godmother's don't tell fibs don't you?"  
  
Harry nodded his head, and with Anne leading the way, they followed Sirius through the mansion, to the far south room.

&&&&

_In the far southern room..._  
  
Sirius moved into the room talking quietly to Ginny. Sirius was describing what Harry had been wearing when she saw him killed, and Ginny was nodding her head in agreement.  
  
"Okay. Now Ginny, I know you're upset, but I need to look at him again and tell me what you see," pressed Sirius.  
  
She looked up at him, still in his arms, eyes wide with shock and fear. "No, Sirius, don't... you can't ask me to..." she wriggled in his arms, and eventually he had to put her down. She stepped back from Sirius, looking at him as if he were a stranger.  
  
"Why are you doing this to me?" Ginny looked bewildered. How could Sirius ask her to look at Harry's body again? It seemed incomprehensible to her.  
  
"Ginny, listen to me. You need to see this. You need to look at the body." Sirius's eyes pleaded with her. "Please trust me."  
  
Anne and Harry had crept silently into the room during this exchange and stood quietly where Ginny couldn't see them. Remus, Ron, Hermione, Emily, Fred, Phil and Shane were standing, respectfully, in the hallway - not wanting to crowd Ginny.  
  
Ginny nodded her head shakily at Sirius and turned to look down at Harry's body.  
  
There was complete silence as Ginny looked at the body on the floor. It was Malfoy! She turned her head slightly to look bewilderingly at Sirius, not understanding.  
  
"I thought you wanted me to look at Harry's body?" Ginny's voice shaking slightly.  
  
"Look at his clothes Ginny. They're the clothes you described to me, as what Harry was wearing. Look again," encouraged Sirius.  
  
Ginny took a steadying breath and looked back down at Malfoy's body, her eyes widening as she took in the clothes he was wearing.  
  
Seeing that she was on the verge of understanding what had happened, Harry stepped forward and touched her lightly on her arm. He noted that Sirius and Anne stepped into the hallway, moving everyone away, to give them some privacy.  
  
Ginny turned to look at the person who had got her attention, and found herself looking into Harry's amazing green eyes. Her eyes filled with tears, finally understanding what had happened.  
  
Harry took her in his arms, letting out a long breath of relief.  
  
"Oh Harry, I'm so..."  
  
Harry cut her off. "Shhhh, it's okay Gin. It's okay. I've got you now, you're safe. It's all over."  
  
Ginny, weak with her ordeal sank completely into his embrace. Harry, not being at full strength after the encounter with the Dementor, sank with her to the floor, murmuring soothing words and endearments into her neck as she clung to him.  
  
"I thought I'd lost you. I thought you were dead," Ginny hiccuped through her tears. "And I just..." she couldn't continue through her tears.  
  
Harry held on to her, thanking God that she was safe once again. And this time, for good. Malfoy was dead. Adam was in custody. The world was as it should be. Or almost anyway.  
  
He still had to convince Ginny to come home with him for the wedding.  
  
He could still feel his mum's engagement ring in his pocket, still held there by a spell. He wanted nothing more than to propose to her right now... but it didn't seem right. She was so distraught and had been through so much... he wanted her to be rested and happy again before he proposed. He wanted to plan it, so that it was perfect.  
  
Ginny lifted her head to gaze up at Harry. A gift. He was precious gift from God. She was still grappling with what had actually happened and was saying prayers of thanks to whomever was watching over them.  
  
Harry tenderly tucked her hair behind her ears, and then settled her onto the floor. They sat looking at each other, Harry bringing his hands to lovingly cup her beautiful, tear stained face.  
  
"I love you," he whispered into the stillness of the room.  
  
"And I love you," Ginny replied, hope in her eyes once more.  
  
Harry pulled her face to his and lowered his to kiss her, ever so tenderly, on the lips.  
  
They revelled in each for other for what seemed like an age, kissing, touching, holding each other close once more.  
  
It was a long time before either of them felt like going and finding the others.


	22. Moving Forward

**Chapter 22**

**Moving Forward**

_Mid week - Ottery St, Catchpole, England_

"I know you're keeping something from me," said a very annoyed Molly Weasley. She had hardly seen Arthur since Ron and Hermione had left to visit Bill in Egypt.

"I don't know what you're talking about dear," replied Arthur looking for an escape route. He knew he couldn't keep anything from Molly, she knew him too well. So he'd been avoiding her and it didn't look like that was going to work anymore.

"I mean it Arthur," she said more gently, "since Hermione and Ron went away, you have hardly been around. What's going on? If I didn't know you better I'd think that you were having an affair," she said sitting down at the kitchen table, pretending to be defeated. She did know him well, and while she knew he wasn't having an affair, she wondered if she could guilt him into confessing what was _really _going on.

She trusted him completely. She always had. And he'd never, ever let her down. She knew there was something going on though, and was starting to get worried as to the magnitude of it, and which of her children were involved. She knew it had to be something to do with them, or Arthur wouldn't be this secretive.

Arthur was momentarily dumbstruck. She had thought he'd had an _affair?_ _'No, no, no, she knew him better than that didn't she?' _he thought to himself desperately.

"Well?" Molly said impatiently. She knew he was trying to figure out how to get out this, but she didn't want him to think that he was going to get out of this lightly.

'_What am I going to say?' _he thought, _'I know she's just as worried about Ginny as I am, and she doesn't even know what's going on. I can't tell her what happened, or she'll be out of this kitchen before I even got the chance to warn them she was coming! But in the meantime...' _he contemplated, looking at his wife, who was looking hurt and bewildered.

"I know dear, and I'm sorry things have been really hectic lately. I haven't been having an _affair_ though," he attempted to joke.

Molly nodded her head in response. _'This must be really serious if he hasn't already come out and told me. He's stalling,' _she thought.

"This is really hard for me to say dear, but I'm sworn to secrecy," he said hoping this would be enough to satisfy her curiosity.

"Oh that's a good one," Molly responded still looking slightly hurt.

"Molly, it's true, and that's all I'm going to say on the matter." Arthur prayed that this would satisfy his inquisitive wife. Only a few more days and then Ron and Hermione would be home and it would all be much easier. Well, easier on him anyway. How Ron was going to keep the truth from his mother was going to be interesting to watch.

Arthur moved across the kitchen and sat in the chair next to her. Reaching over he held her cheek in the palm of his hand and gently kissed her before adding, "I know you don't like to be kept in the dark about anything; but please... just trust me. You know I love you don't you?" he smiled and then kissed her again.

Molly nodded her head sagely. Yes, I do."

"Good. Now I _really_ have to get to work, or do you want me to floo in sick?" he asked with a wicked grin on his face.

"No, go on... I'm busy today too. Do you need anything in Diagon Alley?" she asked getting up and moving over to start breakfast.

"No, but how about I meet you at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch?" he suggested. He had to keep in Molly's good books, otherwise they were all going to be in trouble.

He, Ron and Hermione had decided that Ginny and Harry would come home for the wedding, but that Molly wasn't to know until the day of the wedding itself. The finer details hadn't been worked out yet, but Arthur was just keeping his fingers crossed that they would all make it until 1st September. He knew the kids didn't want to face her wrath if she ever found out what they were up to and what had happened in the last couple of weeks.

Arthur sighed to himself as he took a pinch of floo powder from the mantlepiece and prepared to go to work.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

_Sunday morning, a week later..._

Harry rolled over and automatically reached for Ginny, but his hands fell into empty space. He sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes sleepily, fumbling for his glasses that were on the bedside table.

The dorm room was quiet, and Harry revelled in it. After the hectic pace since he'd arrived in Melbourne and found Ginny, the peace was very welcoming. As he slid out of bed, he heard the front door open and close quietly.

Instinctively, Harry grabbed his wand and moved cautiously to the door that bridged the bedroom and the living room. Suddenly Ginny came into view, carrying a small bag of groceries.

She stopped short at the sight of Harry with his wand in duel-ready stance, and smiled, her eyes lighting up her whole face.

She knew he was still reacting as if he was expecting her to be taken again at any moment. It would be a little funny, if it weren't so sad. Their relationship had never been an easy one - not because of anything that was wrong between them - it was just that the world at large seemed to constantly interfere and Ginny prayed that they would finally have many years of peace together, before anything major stressed their lives again. In fact she hoped that they never saw another Dark wizard in their lifetime. She wanted time to get to know Harry again. She wanted their relationship to take the next step; to go to the next level.

Harry relaxed his stance and smiled at Ginny. "You're laughing at me."

"No, I'm not. I understand... really I do. I just... hope that we can have a normal life now that it's all over," sighed Ginny, putting down the bag in her arms and moving into Harry's embrace.

"Of course we will," murmured Harry, wrapping his arms around her tightly, not really wanting to let go of her _ever_ again.

They unpacked the groceries together and sat down to have breakfast. It was amazing, really, how quickly life had returned to normal, thought Harry. Only a week had passed, but a lot had happened.

Draco Malfoy's body had been returned home to his mother, who, they'd been informed, had buried him in the family plot near Malfoy Manor. Adam had been grilled intensely for several days before being tried and sentenced to life at Azkaban prison.

Harry hadn't been allowed to interrogate him. In fact Sirius and Anne hadn't allowed any of them near the Ministry of Magic at all. Their orders to everyone were simple: rest, relax, sleep **lots** and enjoy some time off.

Emily and Ginny had organised it so that everyone had a week off work and school; they had all needed time to process everything that had happened and simply to catch up on sleep again. But it was Sunday morning and the band had their usual gig tonight, and then all of them were back at uni on Monday.

Harry smiled at Ginny. Life was just about perfect.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sirius woke to the familiar sensation of Anne curled up beside him in bed. He was still amazed by the fact that they'd become so comfortable with each other in such a short space of time. Sirius just lay quietly, snuggling Anne and thinking.

Like everyone else, Sirius was exhausted; physically and emotionally. It had been a crazy couple of weeks; coming to Australia, finding Harry at Anne's place, finding Ginny, falling in love with Anne. He smiled to himself. He hadn't told her how he really felt about her; he'd only just admitted it to himself. He wasn't quite ready to verbalise it just yet. He'd had too many other things on his mind.

Though the death of Malfoy had been unexpected, Sirius felt a twinge of guilt at the feeling of _satisfaction_ that coursed through him knowing that without Lucius and Draco, the Malfoys had lost all their power in Dark circles. He did, however, feel a bit sorry for Narcissa, who was now all alone. However this feeling was only fleeting. He couldn't sustain it for long. She just wasn't worth it.

Sirius and Anne had personally interrogated Adam for days. Firstly they had tested Adam's wand to see what his most recent spells were. They discovered enough to sentence him immediately, which they had done officially. He'd had his day in court, even though the outcome was had been pretty much acknowledged by all.

The last spell cast from Adam's wand was _Avada Kedavra_. He said he'd used it on Draco, as well as using _Crucio_ on Ginny. They asked him about the Dementor; on this subject he was silent.

It didn't matter though. During her time with the Department of Mysteries, Anne had, in conjunction with the current Thinker, developed a spell that would allow them to not only glean the last spell that was cast from a wand, but a _complete_ history. It wasn't a spell that anyone outside the Department of Mysteries knew how to execute, but it came in very handy at times like these.

They'd discovered the spell that controlled the Dementor. With the best research at their disposal, they had discovered exactly how Adam had created this spell, and they had sent the Dementor back to where it was conjured from; which was essentially a void, but they had determined that it would be unable to move from this void, and so the wizarding world was safe from it. However, due to the potential danger the Dementor imposed, they had set up a regular system of checking its location and that it was secure - forever.

Sirius's admiration of Anne had grown since they'd rescued Ginny. The way she'd handled everyone; he watched her work at the Ministry and he could see how much she was respected by everyone - her subordinates _and_ her superiors.

He cuddled even closer to her, his finger tips gliding over her slim form, causing her to stir slightly in her sleep. He pressed his lips to the slope of her neck and nuzzled seductively until she woke up and responded.

"Mmmmmm, Sirius?" whispered Anne.

"Well, who else would it be? teased Sirius, smiling.

"Not sure," she mumbled, "I was hoping it was that cute new guy that was guarding the door at the Ministry the other night." She waited for a moment, and then turned towards Sirius.

He had raised himself on his elbow and was looking at her with a look of incredulity on his face. "You don't mean that _boy_ do you? Isn't that illegal?" he teased back.

Anne smiled and thought how far Sirius had come during his time here. A few weeks ago he would have run away, silent and confused; but somehow the culmination of everything that they'd been through had accelerated his learning curve as far as their relationship was concerned, and with intimacy had come understanding and patience. Two things he wasn't quite renowned for.

Before she could respond though, Sirius had crushed her to him possessively and was kissing her senseless. A few seconds later Anne was oblivious to everything but the feel and touch of Sirius exploring every inch of her body.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Remus chuckled silently to himself at the antics that Sirius and Anne were getting up to; he had just been woken by Anne squealing in the next room. He got up quickly and silently got dressed before heading downstairs to fix himself a light breakfast before going to spend the day with Harry.

Harry, Ginny and Remus had organised to spend the day together shopping for 'Thank You' gifts for Anne, Emily, the boys, Sirius and even some of the Aurors in Anne's departments. Ginny had felt the need to thank everyone for helping her, and although she had already said thank you to all of them, for her it wasn't enough; that's where Remus came in. Although she wanted to get Remus something, she knew his help would be invaluable in choosing something for Sirius and Anne, not to mention some of the Aurors.

Remus suddenly remembered that Arthur has asked him to brief Tonks and the Auror Division in London on all that had happened. He would do that later in the day after his shopping trip with Harry.

Remus finished off the last of his pumpkin juice and Apparated into Harry, Ginny and Emily's lounge room, ready to spend a lazy Sunday with two of his favourite people.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"So what do you think of Harry?" Shane asked Phil that Sunday afternoon. Shane and Phil had taken a break from studying in their dorm room and decided to have a few beers before continuing on.

"He's cool, why do you ask?" answered Phil.

"Well, you've been brooding this past week and I think it's time you told me what was going on inside your head mate," stated Shane quietly. "I know how you feel about Ginny; the way we all do. We've always felt really protective of her, for whatever reason, and now that Harry's here it's like...."

"Like she doesn't need us anymore?" responded Phil dryly.

"You know that's not true Phil," countered Shane immediately. "I know she's not exactly who we thought she was, but I don't think Ginny made friends with us lightly. And she certainly isn't the type of person to stop a friendship for no reason. We'll always be friends."

Phil was silent still. He nodded and after finishing off his beer, he spoke a little wistfully. "I remember the first time we met her. She was so quiet and shy. I remember that we all had dibs on her; who would be the first to talk to her, the first to ask her out, but then she surprised us by coming over to ask us directions. I think we sent her in the wrong direction come to think of it," he mused, pausing again.

"It was about a week later that we decided to advertise for a singer to front for us, remember? You know thinking back on it, she must have been so nervous, more than we probably realised. But you know, I don't remember us agreeing on something so quickly. We saw a few singers that day, but Ginny was the best of them by far," he sighed, smiling at the memory.

"Yeah, but you've got to admit, once she got to know us... I have never seen anyone put us in our places quicker than her. Remember when we played that first prank? It felt like we'd been caught by Fred's mum. I can still remember the look on Fred's face," said Shane laughing.

"Yeah, I've never seen such a blank face, he was speechless. Talk about being a fish suddenly out of water," added Phil gasping for air because he was now laughing so hard.

"You know, I can understand now why she was so withdrawn; knowing what she's been through since she ran away." Shane was silent for a moment before continuing. "I know we don't know the whole story; I don't think anyone does, except for Harry. She doesn't keep anything from him. He is her world and she is his," he sighed deeply and finished off his beer.

"I think Harry is a very lucky man, just as Ginny is a very lucky girl," said Phil getting up from the couch and moving across the room to his desk to continue studying.

Shane looked at the back of his head quietly, acknowledging to himself that _that _conversation was over.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"You know what I love about you?" Fred asked Emily early Sunday evening.

"My looks and amazing talent to know exactly what you are thinking. My..."

"Your unwavering loyalty to those you love," said Fred cutting Emily off. "We didn't react all that well to finding out about Gr.. Ginny, yet you, her best friend, accepted it and defended her without question."

Emily didn't say anything. They were having a bite to eat in her dorm room - taking a break from studying before going to the pub to play that night; Harry and Ginny were out for an early dinner, and Shane and Phil were cramming more study time in. She looked at Fred quietly. She was still unused to the serious side of him; something that had only developed since they had been seeing each other romantically.

"I guess, after everything I've been through; being a witch, going to Muggle primary school, having to hide who I really was..." here she paused. "I guess I just understood it on a deeper level."

"Yeah, I was just thinking about everything, that's all. It still feels like information overload sometimes," Fred replied honestly.

"I know, and it can't be easy for you at times; you know that it doesn't matter to me that you aren't a wizard?"

"Yeah, I know. Thanks goodness for Portkey's eh?" smiled Fred. "I'm looking forward to going back to England when school's finished."

"Me too, but right now, I think we should finish eating and get on with studying," said Emily, all business-like.

"Oh, alright, if you say so," said Fred, clearing their plates to the little sink and returning to the books that were laid out all over the floor.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Ron was a little flustered.

He never knew quite what to do when Hermione was in this mood. He watched edgily as she packed their things. He knew better than to interfere. He never did this sort of thing right... at least not right enough by Hermione's standards. She was perfectionist and so Ron just relaxed and watched her move about the room with precision and fluidity.

She was so sexy. And the great thing? She had no idea, which made her sexier in his mind. Watching her lithe figure move so perfectly was just a treat for Ron... and she had no idea. He knew she was oblivious to him in that moment.

Hermione was busy getting everything in order. She had a mental list of everything in her head and she was just concentrating on that list at the moment:

Clothes

Shoes

Presents

Study notes on the Malfoy family

Debrief notes from Anne

Portkey

Hogwarts: A History

Advanced Spells - the Complete Collection to Fighting the Dark Arts

She stopped for a moment wondering if she had forgotten anything. She rotated on the spot for a moment thinking. Suddenly she spotted Ron on the lounge [they had been staying at a hotel near the university since Ginny had been found safely] watching her, smiling.

"What?" she asked, honestly perplexed at how he could be smiling when there was so much to do.

"Nothing, just watching," replied Ron.

"Well, you could help you know Ron," said Hermione wryly, placing her hands on her hips expressively.

"Umm, excuse me, but the last time I did that, you bit my head off for interfering. No thanks! I've learnt my lesson," finished Ron smugly, crossing his arms, waiting for the tirade that was sure to follow.

He loved this. He loved playing this game with her, and although over the years she had quickly figured out his strategy; when she was really focused on something, she always forgot. And he got her every time.

"I did not bite your head off. I was simply pointing out..." her voice trailed off. "Oh good lord, I must be more tired than I thought, I just fell for it AGAIN!"

"Yes you did, but I love watching it nonetheless!" remarked Ron delightedly.

He got up from the lounge and crossed the room to wrap her in his embrace. He couldn't wait to marry her. And now everything was perfect. Harry had found Ginny [twice]; they were together and happy again; they were coming home for the wedding... he sighed contentedly and hugged Hermione even closer.


	23. Returning to Normal

**Authors Notes:** Hey guys... sorry for the long wait... the next one might have a longer one... :)  
  
Well don't forget to REVIEW!!! Please! We really appreciate it...  
  
Love and Hugs... Rhiain & Caz

&&&&&

**Chapter 23**

**Returning to normal**

&&&&&

_At the corner hotel – Richmond – later that night._

Ginny walked onto the stage to thunderous applause. It felt like a lifetime since Emily had told the owner of the pub that they wouldn't be able to play for a week because the band was 'sick'. But it was obvious that their presence had been missed.

Ginny walked over to the microphone and pulled it out of its clip.

"Thank you... thank you, it really is good to be back. All of us were feeling a bit under the weather last week, but I hope you all had fun with our replacements," she paused to smile at that comment, receiving a smattering of laughter from the regular patrons. 'The Replacements' were another band at the university, who Emily had recommended to the owner as a temporary stand-in for BeWITCHing Evil last week, and it seemed that they had been received by the regulars quite well.

"Now before we begin, I want to introduce some special people to you, but I need to give you a bit of background before I do that, otherwise the introductions won't mean a thing," she said taking a deep breath and catching Harry's eyes. He nodded to her, smiling.

They had discussed what she wanted to do last night over hot cocoa before they went to bed, and although some people wouldn't understand why she was doing this, Ginny had recognised that this was something she wanted and _needed_ to do; that it was the beginning of the process of going home and telling her family what had _really_ happened.

"As you all know I'm from England... I guess that's pretty evident from my accent," Ginny smiled, taking a deep breath, "but that's about all you know. And despite the songs that I've written and sung, even my fellow classmates didn't realise what my real story was. And I know it might seem odd to be telling you this, but I've had a number of revelations recently and I've come to realise a few things."

The band, Emily, Anne, Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione's heads snapped up and their jaws dropped. Harry just smiled knowingly, encouraging Ginny to continue.

"I know this may sound a little shocking, but I have been running - not from the law or anything like that - just from my past, and something that happened three years ago... something that no one should ever have to live through. I won't explain further, suffice to say I was scared and ran away," she smiled nodding to Harry. "What I didn't realise was that no matter how far away I ran or where to, someone was looking for me, tracking my every step... my boyfriend - Harry," continued Ginny, thinking to herself _'boyfriend really doesn't cover it' ._ "Harry has been trying to find me for almost three years, which is nothing short of amazing and for which I'll always be eternally grateful. However, since I moved to Melbourne I've had the opportunity, through BeWITCHing Evil, to write music and sing about those experiences, and about Harry. He is referred to in quite a few songs, even though no one realised it," she said, smiling bemusedly at some of the expressions she could see in the audience. Some of the audience were her fellow classmates at university; they looked totally floored by what she was saying.

"Well, he finally caught up with me a few weeks ago, right here in this pub actually." Ginny paused. "And the reason I'm telling you this is because I'd like my friends here in Melbourne to meet the people in my life who have come to mean so much to me; who have helped shape me as a person. These friends have been instrumental in bringing about these revelations, even if they didn't realise it. Would you all please put your hands together for my boyfriend Harry Potter, my best friend Hermione Granger, my brother Ron Weasley and Harry's godfather, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin... all the way from England."

As the spotlight swung around to the back of the pub, Harry got up from the table they were all sharing and pulled Sirius with him, motioning Remus, Ron and Hermione to their feet, as the crowd clapped and hollered appreciatively.

Ron was speechless. _'Blimey,' _he thought to himself.

As if sensing what Ron was thinking Anne stood up and moved to stand behind Ron, and whispered to him. "Ron, this is a good thing." Ron was still looking shell shocked. "If she can tell a group of strangers and classmates, this is just one more step towards being able to go home and tell her family what really happened."

As Ron sat down, the band started up, but he wasn't listening. He slowly turned to look at Anne and nodded affirmatively. He had come to respect her wisdom and insight during the time he'd known her. "I know," he said quietly.

"She's come a long way in a really short space of time Ron," added Hermione, sounding awed by what Ginny had just done.

Harry had said nothing at all. He had learnt a long time ago to just let Ron sit with stuff for a bit, while he figured it out for himself. Hermione took Ron's hand in her own and squeezed it gently.

&&&&&

"Okay everyone, this is the last song of this set, then we'll be back after a little break... This song has some history, and I'd like to invite my roommate, Emily, up here to help me with the vocals. Em?" Ginny called out, smiling at her friend as Emily moved through the crowd to raucous cheers.

"This is a song I wrote when I first moved here from New York, and although it doesn't hold the same meaning for me anymore, this is as good a night as any to sing it again."

Phil tapped his drumsticks together four times and the song began.

"_How can you see into my eyes like open doors_

_Leading you down into my core_

_Where I've become so numb_

_Without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold_

_Until you find it there and lead it back home_

_Wake me up inside_

_Wake me up inside_

_Call my name and save me from the dark_

_Bid my blood to run_

_Before I come undone_

_Save me from the nothing I've become_

_Now that I know what I'm without_

_You can't just leave me_

_Breathe into me and make me real_

_Bring me to life_

_Wake me up inside_

_Wake me up inside_

_Call my name and save me from the dark_

_Bid my blood to run_

_Before I come undone_

_Save me from the nothing I've become_

_Bring me to life_

_Bring me to life_

_Frozen inside without your touch_

_Without your love darling_

_Only you are the life among the dead_

_All this time I can't believe I couldn't see_

_Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me_

_I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems_

_Got to open my eyes to everything_

_Without a thought without a voice without a soul_

_Don't let me die here_

_There must be something more_

_Bring me to life_

_Wake me up inside_

_Wake me up inside_

_Call my name and save me from the dark_

_Bid my blood to run_

_Before I come undone_

_Save me from the nothing I've become_

_Bring me to life_

_Bring me to life._

Harry had been listening intently to the lyrics and no one at the table had said a word throughout the song. Harry was out of his seat before the song ended; he really needed to get to Ginny. The rest of the group hung back, instinctively understanding that Harry needed some time with Ginny.

As he wound his way through the narrow backstage hallway, he thought back to the lyrics. Although he and Ginny had talked about the time before he'd found Ginny, he hadn't truly realised the depth of her pain, or how badly she'd needed him.

He paused outside the band's dressing room door, not only to catch his breath, but to get his emotions under control. Although a stranger might already think that Harry looked calm, people like Sirius, Remus, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, having known him for so many years, would have picked up on his level of stress. But to the casual, untrained observer he was already in control. Years of war and Auror training had honed this already 'natural' skill.

He took another deep, calming breath before walking into the room and pulling Ginny into his embrace.

"You know all that time... I never realised what you were going through. And even since I found you and we've talked..." Harry faltered for a moment, "I still didn't really appreciate what you'd been through," Harry whispered into Ginny's ear. "But you know I wouldn't have stopped looking until I found you. Never," he said adamantly. "Although Ron and Hermione would have dragged me back for their wedding regardless," he grinned.

"I know Harry," said Ginny softly, stepping back from his embrace to look at Harry carefully, grasping both his hands in her own, squeezing them reassuringly. "And I didn't mean to alarm you by singing that particular song... but these songs have been cathartic for me... it's been my way of coping I guess. And I never stopped loving you either; even though I was running further and further away, obviously there was some part of me that wanted to be found. Wanted _you_ to find me and rescue me - and being found has made me face up to everything I've been running from and I know I couldn't have faced any of that without you," she finished calmly, before burying her head into his shoulder. They were still that way a few minutes later when the rest of the group arrived.

"I hate to break up this moment," said Ron cheekily, "but we really need to talk about what's going to happen after the gig's finished."

Harry slowly untangled himself from Ginny and sat down, pulling her onto his lap before looking to Ron and Hermione.

"You leave at midnight don't you?" he asked.

"Yes we do," replied Hermione, settling herself on Ron's lap, "but we need to figure out a strategy of who's being told what, and what our cover story should be for Molly.

"Well Arthur knowing will be a great help," said Sirius. Ginny already knew, after lots of talks with Ron, that her father knew what had happened - by accident initially.

"Yeah," Ron chuckled, but then sobered. "But Dad's going to need help keeping this quiet from Mum. She's just too nosey when it comes to all of us. She can pick up a conspiracy a mile away."

"So who are you going to tell?" asked Emily, who was leaning against the wall.

After a moments silence, Harry answered. "I think the rest of your brothers should know Ginny. Ron's right. Arthur is going to need a hand keeping this all a secret and help to placate your Mum. Who knows how she'll react? I think it's the best course of action for the moment," said Harry quickly, feeling Ginny tense up.

"Okay..." said Ginny very slowly, "You may as well tell them everything, so they understand, and so they can help defend me once I'm home. They have a right to know..." she said trailing off.

"Don't worry Gin," said Ron standing up and squatting down in front of her, putting his hand over hers. "We'll keep the explanations as simple as possible. The rest will be up to you for when you come home. Okay?" Ginny nodded, looking incredibly young and vulnerable again.

"Speaking of coming home," said Hermione, "when do you think you'll come home Harry, and where are you going to stay?"

"At The Notch, unless you've rented my room out," said Harry blandly. He was joking of course; he knew that she was asking for Ginny's sake more than his.

"Of course not! As if I would. Your room is still exactly how you left it. I only went in there to cast an anti-dust charm," replied Hermione hotly.

Ginny couldn't help herself, she giggled... Hermione was sooo easy to provoke. She didn't often fall for it but when she did... well... it was genuinely funny. Everyone was silent for a moment... before they all started laughing.

"I fell for it again didn't I?" she said looking between Harry and Ron who both nodded affirmatively, trying really hard not to laugh, unlike everyone else.

"It's really up to you Ginny, you stay wherever you feel most comfortable," said Harry softly, "I'll do whatever you're comfortable with."

"I don't think I'm up to Mum full time just yet, so do you mind if we stay at The Notch?" she asked hopefully.

Harry's heart skipped a beat. She'd said 'we'. That meant she wanted to stay with him. He hadn't been sure. He still wasn't quite secure with his relationship with Ginny, given what had happened to her. But the thought of sleeping without her by his side each night, even after only a few weeks, would be torture. Harry took a steadying breath and relaxed again.

"No at all. Consider The Notch a home away from home Ginny. And we'll make room for everyone else too," said Hermione sincerely.

"Thanks," Ginny said smiling, relaxing a bit more.

"Hey Ginny, we really need to get back out there," said Phil looking at his watch, they had been in the changing room for twenty minutes already, and they were due back on stage.

"Okay Phil. We'll meet you all back in here after the gig; we want to come and see you off," said Ginny, getting off Harry's lap and making her way to the door.

&&&&&

It was a solemn group that walked into the International Portkey Office just before midnight - although the boys were keeping everyone entertained with their expressions at seeing so many magical things in one place.

'_Just think what they'll be like when we get to England,' _thought Emily, shaking her head as they approached the check-in-desk. "I'll go and check you in, it's not long till you leave."

"Thanks Em," said Ron and Hermione together.

Harry watched as brother and sister stood facing each other without words. They had always been like that. As Ginny was about to say something, Ron quickly pulled Ginny into a crushing hug; he obviously didn't want to let go of her.

"Look after her Harry," Hermione said gently, pulling Harry into an embrace. "We'll see you in August," she said before releasing him and turning to Ginny.

"We're just a floo call away," said Hermione softly, "day or night," she said, pulling away slightly she added. "We love you and can't wait to have you home."

"Thanks Hermione," Ginny said tears silently tracking down her face, Hermione was the sister she never had. "I love you too. Thanks for coming to rescue me."

Hermione and Ron quickly hugged Anne, the boys, Sirius and Remus goodbye when they were interrupted by Emily running over to them.

"Okay, you're all set, but you leave in two minutes, so you'd better go," stated Emily breathlessly as she hugged them quickly goodbye.

Harry and Ron faced each other, both knowing that nothing needed to be said. Harry pulled Ron into a quick, reassuring hug, before pushing him towards Hermione, who was heading towards the corridor which would lead to the appropriate room where their portkey would be waiting.

"Bye everyone, see you in August," Hermione said waving, before taking Ron's hand and walking through the doors.

Harry and Ginny stood watching them go, Harry's arms wrapped around her from behind. "We'll see them soon love," said Harry turning Ginny to him and gently wiping the tears from her eyes. "Let's go home," he added gently before steering the group to an area where they could portkey back to their respective homes.

&&&&&

Harry climbed the stairs and walked along the corridor to the room he and Ginny were sharing, at Anne's [amused] insistence, but stopped just before he opened the door. He could hear Anne's voice through the door, speaking quietly, and then Ginny's smooth, lilting tones in reply. Harry instinctively kept walking towards Anne and Sirius's room to see if Sirius was up yet.

&&&&&

"I'm just not sure how I'm going to explain it, Anne," Ginny was saying quietly.

She and Anne were on the bed, still in their pyjamas and nightie, talking about Ginny and Harry going home.

"I mean what can I say that's going to explain this to Mum?" Ginny asked Anne. "Harry's right about one thing. I'm not sure how she'll react. I think she'll be glad to have me back, but then she'll go completely nuts about all the hurt I've caused her and the whole family. I mean look at Ron's initial reaction. I'm not sure, even with everyone's support, whether I'm going to be ready for the onslaught!"

Anne smiled wryly. She couldn't remember Molly from Hogwarts, but as a mum she understood both sides of this story and knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"Ginny, I don't know Molly at all, but from what I've been able to glean from everyone, she has a heart of gold and is simply protective of her family, including Harry and Hermione," commented Anne sagely.

"I know, but..." here Ginny faltered, her eyes misting over with tears.

Anne instinctively enveloped her in the kind of hug that only a mother knew how to give. "Shhhh, Ginny. It's okay. I promise it will all work out. I know it."

Ginny clung to Anne, not ever wanting to let go.

&&&&&

Harry knocked on Anne's door. The door swung open to reveal a dishevelled Sirius.

"Morning Harry, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine, but Anne's in our room with Ginny, so I thought I'd come and chat with you while they're talking," Harry said tentatively, still a little unsure of his boundaries with his godfather.

"Of course, Harry, come in. Is Remus up yet?" asked Sirius.

"Yeah, I found him in the kitchen, getting breakfast ready," replied Harry, as he moved into the room to sit at the desk underneath the large window, overlooking the back garden.

"Do you know what they're talking about in there?" asked Harry tentatively.

"Sorry Harry, I don't. Anne went to get us a cuppa, and obviously didn't make it to the kitchen. You must have just missed each other in the hallway." Sirius looked carefully at Harry, trying to guess at what he might be thinking. "I don't think it will be anything to worry about Harry. Ginny is probably just wanting Anne's perspective on things - you know from a Mum's point of view."

Harry looked at Sirius, a little shocked at his insight. Once upon a time, this sort of thing just wouldn't have come out of Sirius's mouth, but obviously some things do change. Anne was obviously having a good effect on his godfather.

Harry was still staring at Sirius, when Sirius began to fidget. "Harry, something wrong?"

Harry started suddenly. "No, no, of course not. You're probably right. I'm just not used to such emotional intellect coming out of your mouth though. You hungry? Remus is cooking up a storm down there." And Harry fled the room laughing before Sirius could throw anything at him.

&&&&&

Ron rolled over in his bed. It was good to be home at last... he hadn't left home for anything other than to go to Hogwarts, and he hadn't realised, until he arrived back in London with Hermione, how much he'd missed England, as well as having a place of their own. Not that it hadn't been good to see both Harry and Ginny. It had been brilliant; and tough. He was just glad she was okay and coming home in just a few weeks. And it had been great to see Bill and Fleur in Egypt. Ron lay staring at the ceiling, thinking back to the few days that Hermione and him spent with them.

"_Ron?" said Bill opening the door, "this is a surprise. What are you doing here?" he asked._

"_Well if that's how you welcome family who have come sooo far to visit you..." said Ron turning around as if to leave.._

"_No, no, no, come back you silly bugger! I just wasn't expecting you to come here at all." Bill ushered Hermione and Ron inside out of the heat of the Egyptian sun. "I spoke to Dad last night and he didn't mention anything about you coming here._

"_Yeah, we know this is unannounced, but... well, there's a few reasons we did, actually," said Hermione smiling up at Bill. She tugged at his ponytail playfully._

"_Hey, don't you start. It's bad enough that I have to put up with that from Mum," said Bill good naturedly._

"_I'm not saying you should cut it, I just like teasing you about it," grinned Hermione cheekily. She loved Bill. He was so good natured and easy to get along with. And although it had taken a while, she was getting used to being teased by Ron's brothers. It was just in their Weasley nature, except Percy's. But then she and Percy got along just as well too._

"_So what's up?" asked Bill._

"_Well, we thought we should actually have _visited_ Egypt to make our "holiday stories" believable when we get home, so we've come for a few days," said Hermione moving to hug Fleur as she came into their lounge room, "if that's alright with you both," added Hermione._

"_Oui, of course, it is lovely to see you!" exclaimed Fleur moving to kiss Ron on both cheeks._

_Ron had long since got over his crush on Fleur and Hermione had long since stopped feeling threatened by Fleur being a Veela. Over the last three years, they had all learnt more about each other and become quite close, despite the distance between London and Cairo._

"_And we also have something else we need to talk to you about - to do with Ginny," spoke Ron quietly. "I think you should sit down."_

_Bill paled immediately. He knew there were only a few reasons that one of the family would show up out of the blue; a death or illness in the family or Ginny. He waited impatiently with bated breath._

"_We've just come from Australia, Melbourne to be exact," began Ron, sitting down opposite Fleur and Bill in their small but cosy lounge room. "We had an owl from Harry about two weeks ago. And although he didn't come right out and say he'd found her, the way he'd phrased things made Hermione suspicious and so we figured out that he'd found her," said Ron, knowing that he didn't need to specify who 'her' was._

"_F... found her? Found Ginny?" Bill exclaimed, receiving a nod from both Ron and Hermione. He continued, "is she okay? What happened? How is she?" he asked in quick succession._

"_She's fine... now" soothed Hermione smiling at his reaction. "She has had a hard time though Bill." Hermione paused. Ron was looking down at his shoes, not speaking. _

"_Now?" asked Bill, wanting and not wanting to know what that meant all at once. "What does that mean?"_

"_We'll tell you the whole story, but no interruptions... okay?" said Ron, "It's going to be hard enough as it is." Bill and Fleur nodded in agreement. _

"_It all started a few weeks ago, after we received Harry's letter..." _

&&&&&

_Several hours later Bill and Fleur were still speechless. How could Ginny, their little Ginny, have gone through all of that and still be okay, like Ron and Hermione had said she was. They now understood everything, which to Bill made all the difference in the world. Like Ron, he'd been feeling off-centre about Ginny... but he understood why now._

"_So she is coming back for your wedding?" asked Fleur._

"_Yeah, the whole group is coming back. We couldn't not invite them - not after everything they've done for Gin," said Ron picking up Hermione's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze._

"_When will they be home?" asked Bill still a little bit shocked at everything Ginny had been through._

"_They're all coming back about three days before the wedding. They're heading to The Notch first, then going on to see Mum and Dad," answered Ron. "Whatever you do, you can't talk about this to Mum. We've planned it as a surprise. Dad knows, or he'll know the details soon enough, but we don't want Mum to find out. She would be in Melbourne quick as look at you," he added, "and Ginny wants to do this in her own time, not Mum's."_

"_Oui, zat is fine," said Fleur, nodding in understanding. "What about your ozzer bruzzers?"_

"_We plan on telling them all. Bill, could you help me out and contact Charlie in Romania? We'll tell the twins and Percy as soon as we get home," asked Hermione._

Those few days in Cairo were some of the best Ron could remember, for a few reasons, but mainly because there wasn't the constant stress of where Ginny was and if she was okay.

'_Three weeks to go,'_ he thought, before getting up and getting ready for work.

&&&&&

_Later that afternoon at Anne's place..._

Harry and Ginny had decided to go for a walk down by the edge of the property - on Sirius and Anne's suggestion. It was sunny out and surprisingly mild, even though it was still Winter in Australia. They were just walking quietly, holding hands, pointing out things that caught their eyes as they walked along.

It was peaceful.

But not for long. They reached the spot that Sirius and Anne had spoken about and Harry conjured up some blankets to sit on and they got comfortable - sitting side by side.

"Ginny?" whispered Harry, who didn't want to spoil this peace they were enjoying, but after his talk with Sirius that morning, he had decided to follow his instincts regarding the topic he was about to broach.

"Yes," replied Ginny.

"Did you and Anne have a nice talk this morning?"

"Yeah, we did actually. I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to catch you up about it."

"No, that's okay. I guess I was just wondering if something was wrong that perhaps only Anne could help with," Harry paused, "that I couldn't."

Ginny waited a moment before replying. As much as she loved Harry, there were things that she hadn't discussed with him because she specifically _wanted _to discuss them with Anne.

She lowered her eyes, not looking at him. "I'm just worried about going home. About Mum's reaction I guess." Harry could hardly hear Ginny; her voice barely a whisper.

Harry watched her very carefully. Even if she hadn't just told him, her body language was screaming to him that she was feeling _very_ unsure about herself, and he didn't think that it was necessarily linked to her Mum or going home either.

"Gin? What is it?"

Ginny wrapped her arms around her knees, her knuckles going white she was so gripping them so tightly.

_The rape._

Harry was silently betting all the money in the world that this was what was making her feel unsettled. He wondered what had triggered it, or if _he_ had somehow triggered it. He silently thanked his Auror training. After spending most of his time at Hogwarts feeling completely clueless, this experience with Ginny was proving to him how much he had learned since finishing his magical education; the breadth of what he was able to pick up now was quite staggering to him; the subtleties of the tonality in someone's voice, their body language, the little signs you discovered that gave away their current emotional state.

"Gin, please talk to me. I know what's bothering you, but I need you to talk to me about it. Please?" Harry pleaded with her, not moving closer at all, but leaning back slightly so that she wouldn't feel physically threatened in some way.

Ginny looked up at Harry, her eyes shining with tears. "I thought I'd dealt with all of this."

"Are you kidding?" Harry asked incredulously. "Gin, I told you that this was going to take some time. What made you think it would be that easy? In many ways you've only just begun the process of healing and moving on from what happened in New York. You'd shut it away until I found you."

Harry paused for a moment, wondering whether she was ready to be pushed where she needed to go. He knew she needed to talk about what happened, and not just to him. He had done some research in the university's library and had discovered a lot about rape and rape victims.

It was a muggle crime. He hadn't heard of anything like this happening within the wizarding world, and he was extremely grateful for that. However, he had discovered that muggle rape victims do have a few options as to what to do afterwards. He discovered that they could report it to the police, go to a hospital and then seek counselling from many areas of the community.

But this left him with the problem of how to help Ginny right now. Because the wizarding world didn't have this sort of 'problem', they had no infrastructure to deal with it. And Harry wanted to deal with it - decisively. In some ways, purely for his own satisfaction; he didn't think Ginny would want him to do anything on her behalf, but he intended to, nonetheless - but that was another issue altogether. But he wanted to help Ginny right now - yes, for his own selfish reasons, but he loved her too much to let her keep this inside forever. It would destroy her, as well as their relationship, if they didn't deal with this tragedy together.

But in the meantime, he wanted to help Ginny find a way that she could talk about this without reliving it all over again. She was still having nightmares; not that anyone else knew about those, thanks to the silencing charms wherever they slept. But Harry was challenged and haunted by other things as well.

He was struggling with the fact that he had no idea of how far he could take things - on an intimate level - if at all. He needed to know what happened. Ginny had told him _how_ it had all happened, but not exactly what her assailant had done to her. He need to know precisely how she felt about him, as her boyfriend; about how he was with her, about her reactions if he touched her a certain way... This was one conversation Harry had no clue how to navigate!

"Ginny," Harry started. He paused, trying to figure out how to start off. "I know we talked about this and you decided that you didn't want anyone to know, but I think that talking about it is part of the process. I think you need to, otherwise it will just stay inside you forever." Harry took a deep breath... he couldn't continue.

Ginny watched him silently. She had so many emotions going through her in that moment... Harry's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. She held out her hand to him. He took it tentatively and she gently pulled him towards her. They laid down on the blanket and just held each other.

"Ginny, I have no idea how to say what I want to say without upsetting you - " began Harry.

"It's okay Harry. Just say what you need to say," interrupted Ginny softly. She knew what was coming. She could always tell with Harry.

Harry raised himself up on his elbow to look down at Ginny. Her beautiful red hair had spread itself out around her, and with the sun trickling through the trees, she looked like an angel. He took a deep breath.

"This will sound really horrible and insensitive, but I need to know what happened in New York, Ginny," said Harry quickly. "It's not morbid curiosity, trust me. I just feel that things between us, before you left, were..." Harry struggled to find the right word, "poised on the edge something new."

Ginny was watching him closely. As much as she understood how serious this conversation was, a part of her wanted to smile. Harry had always been considerate about how he approached 'sensitive - relationship' conversations. And right now she really just wanted to kiss him, but she let him continue.

"I know this must impossible to think about, but I want to know what happened, in as much detail as you can handle. I don't think..." here Harry paused again and took a deep breath, "I don't think things between us will go forward or will totally heal until we discuss what's happened. And please don't think that it will change the way I feel about you, because nothing ever could. But I don't want to lose you at some point down the track, either, because we left things unresolved." Harry stopped suddenly, as if afraid of Ginny's reaction.

And then he suddenly started talking again before Ginny could react. "Please don't think that I don't love you. I do, and I don't ever want to be with anyone else, ever." He stopped again, and took a deep, calming breath.

Ginny waited patiently; waited for Harry to look at her again.

He did and found that she had fixed him with a look that took his breath away - deep brown eyes, like liquid chocolate, penetrating, serious, wrapping him up with only her eyes. He didn't know how she did it, but he always felt as though he couldn't move, couldn't breathe when she looked at him like that.

And then Harry burst out again, "And if you can't talk about it, then I'll accept that, but I had to ask." He went quiet again.

Ginny said nothing. On one hand she was unsure of how to start describing what had happened to her - it wasn't something she actually _wanted_ to think about, and yet she instinctively knew the truth of what Harry was saying. She accepted that she needed to talk it over with him, and that in time she needed to tell her family and close friends about it too.

Two weeks ago there was no _way_ she would have even been _thinking _or _considering_ discussing the rape with anyone but Harry; but things had changed. She had, in a way, lost Harry and got him back again; she had been traumatised psychologically - but this had helped her come to realise that the only way to move on was to let it go, otherwise she would always know that this was a secret she was keeping from everyone, and she knew from what she'd seen Harry go through whilst they were at Hogwarts, what keeping secrets could do to a person.

Ginny took a deep breath of her own. She paused though, because it looked like Harry had more to say.

Harry was nervous. Incredibly so. His mind was thinking at a million miles an hour; trying to anticipate what Ginny would say, how she would react, how he would react in response. And then he suddenly realised he had something else he needed to say to her.

"Ginny, before you say anything - and I'm not saying this to sway you - I just realised I needed to let you know." Harry paused, feeling like he was going to jump out of his skin because he was actually terrified right at that moment.

"Ginny, I want to marry you. I really do. But I don't want to rush you either." At these words Ginny shifted position and sat up straight, not breaking eye contact with Harry even for a second. "You've been through so much, it's ridiculous to think you could make a decision now about something so important. And I'm not asking you to make a decision, and I'm not about to officially propose, but I wanted you to know that I'm not asking the really hard questions without you understanding how I really feel about you."

Ginny couldn't speak. This was the last thing she expected. And Harry had hit the nail on the head. She certainly wasn't ready to make a decision like this. She wanted to be with Harry forever; there was no question of that, but so much had happened in such a short space of time that she was still processing everything.

Harry waited nervously. _Never_ had he been more scared in his _life!_

Ginny smiled at him and, without a word, leant in and kissed him. Their tongues met; gently at first in tentative exploration, then deeper and more urgently, as the passion between them built slowly, like it always did.

Harry gently lowered Ginny down to the blanket, keeping his hold on her firm, yet gentle, not wanting to push things too far; and although his body was already racing away without him, he kept himself carefully under control.

Ginny moaned as she kissed Harry fervently; her lips moving across his face to explore his body more definitively. She wanted him so badly; she couldn't help it! She loved this man more than anyone in the whole world. She'd always loved him, but now it was on a deeper, more intimate level; a level that she wanted to explore, but was afraid too, and it was this thought that brought things to a standstill.

They both sat there breathing heavily, still touching each other, but not intimately, smiling.

Ginny couldn't help herself; a single tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek - despite the smile that was on her face. "Harry, you were right before - about everything. I'm not ready to make a decision about us just yet. But you were also right about what happened to me." Here Ginny stopped.

"It's okay Gin," Harry encouraged, "you don't have to tell me all in one go. We'll take as long as you want over as many days as you want. I'll do this any way you're comfortable."

Ginny smiled a little wryly. "I don't want to talk at all if I'm completely honest, but I understand that I need to."

Harry wrapped his arms around her and held her gently. "Whenever you're ready."

As the afternoon slipped into evening, Ginny and Harry sat and talked about _everything_ that happened in New York.

&&&&&

Anne and Sirius were in the lounge room, sitting side by side on the couch. They made a cute couple. They were holding hands, listening to Remus, who was sitting opposite them on the other couch, telling them a story, which had them reeling in hysterics.

"Honestly, if Shacklebolt hadn't arrived when he had, goodness knows how far Tonks would have gone," finished Remus, watching as both Sirius and Anne wiped tears of laughter from their eyes.

"Well, Tonks is a bit of firecracker," commented Sirius, when he'd got his breath back.

"That's one way of describing her," relied Remus.

"Well how else would you describe her Remus?" queried Anne, who was just a little bit curious about Tonks. She and Sirius had been talking about Tonks and Remus the night before, and Sirius felt that although Tonks was somewhat younger than Remus, that she was actually a good match for him, especially personality wise. It was always going to take a special kind of woman to match Remus, given his alter-ego - Moony.

"Well, I don't know," said Remus, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He enjoyed Tonks' company and she certainly livened up a room, but he knew precisely what Anne was angling at... "she's just..." he trailed off.

"What?" nudged Sirius.

"Well, I know things at the Ministry are different since we defeated Voldemort and people's attitude towards me have changed or shifted, whatever," began Remus, "but Tonks is probably the most relaxed person around me, when it comes to the wolf." Remus just left it at that.

Anne and Sirius exchanged looks and then pointedly looked back at Remus again.

"You like her," began Sirius, a slow smile appearing on his face, "don't you?"

Remus didn't say a word. If he gave anything away, he'd never hear the end of it, and Remus had always been shy about girls, especially given his lycanthropy status - most people were too judgemental and couldn't deal with it. Tonks was the first woman - that he'd been attracted to - who didn't appear fazed by it at all.

"She's refreshing," replied Remus, keeping his voice even.

"Refreshing. Hmmmm, that's an interesting word for Tonks," mused Sirius. He turned to Anne and continued. "Tonks is quite a unique type of person. You'll get to meet her tonight. We've got to put in a floo call to Arthur at the Ministry and just keep him up to date, but I'm hoping Tonks will be there too. She can help in the conspiracy too."

"Speaking of that," interrupted Remus, "is everything okay with Ginny and Harry? They seemed very quiet when they left this afternoon, and they haven't returned for dinner either. Do you think we should Ruby to find them?"

Sirius looked to Anne to lead this discussion.

"Ginny and I had a chat this morning, and she's just feeling nervous about going home and facing Molly," explained Anne.

"Are you sure that's all?" asked Sirius. "Harry came and had a chat with me this morning whilst you were with Ginny and he seemed worried."

"What did you say? I hope you didn't get him more worried," Remus said.

"What a thing to say! Anyone would think I didn't know how to be mature and responsible."

Remus didn't even bother to reply to that. He just raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I know, wisdom doesn't usually come out of my mouth. Those are Harry's words by the way," admitted Sirius. Anne and Remus just laughed out loud.

"But it's so good to know that you both think of me as still being immature," groaned Sirius.

"Not at all Sirius," replied Anne, trying to be as serious as possible, "you've just taken longer to... mature, than most people."

"Well, aside from my new maturity, I think that there's something else bothering them both, but I just can't quite put my finger on it," Sirius stated, his voice quiet and serious. "I mean, think about it. She was on the run for three years. Goodness knows what might have happened to her in that time, or who she came across. I know she had her wand with her, but she was in the muggle world, not our world, and it's very different you know. She's not like Hermione who co-exists in both worlds and was brought up as a muggle. Ginny's a pure blood witch." He finally paused.

"What are you thinking might have happened?" asked Remus.

"Actually, until I know for sure, I wouldn't want to speculate. Not after what's happened to her in the past couple of weeks. That's all been traumatic enough as it is," finished Sirius.

"Well, it's getting cold out there," noted Anne, "I think we should send Ruby to remind them to come back inside. Even if they want to go off to the pub to be alone, I don't think they should be outside in this weather."

They all looked out the window. In the past hour, the clouds had rolled in, the wind had picked up and it had grown quite black. It looked like it was ready to pour with rain. Anne got up and went to kitchen, and soon Ruby was off to find Harry and Ginny with a message to come home.

****

**&&&&&&**

****

**Authors Notes # 2: **Okay there you are.. another chapter done... The song was "Bring me to Life" by Evanescence... We hope you like... and don't forget to **REVIEW :)**


	24. Homeward Bound

**Authors Notes: **Welcome Back... Can you believe it... Gawd knows how many months later... and you have a chapter! happy dance Hopefully the chapters will keep coming... We dont plan on abandoning this story.. we do plan to finish it.. so be patient with us! Rhiain & Carolyn**  
**

**Chapter 24**

**HOMEWARD BOUND**

OOO

"So we were wondering if you could help with this little conspiracy Tonks," concluded Anne, who had just finished bringing Arthur and Tonks up to date on what had been happening in Australia. They were making this floo call from the comfort of Anne's home. They didn't want any employees of the Ministry overhearing their personal plans.

"Absolutely no probs Anne," quipped Tonks, changing her hair style and colour whilst she was talking, which in turn was making Anne giggle. "I'm excellent at making people believe I'm completely clueless - it's one of my assets on the job actually. And although Molly knows me a bit now, it should still be easy… my lips are sealed."

Sirius, Anne and Remus laughed out loud at this.

Arthur interrupted with a touch of seriousness though. "Sirius, is Ginny really okay? Are you sure she's not suffering any ill effects from her ordeal?" asked Arthur anxiously.

Sirius took a deep breath; Anne and Remus waited to see what he would say. "Arthur, I won't lie to you; she has been through a lot. But given what she and Harry have survived together, through their years at Hogwarts, I believe she'll be fine. She's been more quiet than usual, but apart from that I think she'll get through it all just fine; this is nothing that she and Harry can't overcome together." He waited patiently for Arthur's reply.

Arthur continued to look at Sirius through the flames and eventually breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess you're right Sirius. Thank you so much, and you too, Anne and Remus, for taking care of my children. I appreciate it more than I can express right now." Arthur looked a little misty eyed.

Tonks continued. "Remus, when can we expect you back in the office? I need some help keeping everyone else in line you know. You know they don't listen to me!" Tonks quipped cheekily, smiling up at Remus through the flames.

Remus looked back at her steadily, with only a glimpse of a smile crossing his face, fully aware that Sirius and Anne were listening and analysing every word they were saying. "I'll be back in another week. I just want to make sure I tie up any loose ends here before I come home."

"Okay. Just make sure you touch base with me first. We should probably spend a bit of time going over everything once you get back. Is that okay with you?" asked Tonks, whose hair was changing from black to all the colours of the rainbow while she was talking.

Remus smiled at her through the flames; amused at her metamorphagus antics. "Sure Tonks. Well, I'll see you in a week."

"Great. Looking forward to it. See you Remus," replied Tonks grinning widely at him, before shifting her gaze to find Sirius and Anne. They stepped back into view. "See you Anne, nice to have met you. Take care Sirius," finished Tonks before her head disappeared from view.

"Bye Arthur. Relax a bit, okay? Everyone is fine and Ginny and Harry will be home shortly before the wedding," reminded Sirius.

"I will Sirius. Night all," and Arthur signed off.

Remus stood up and turned around. "Anyone for a cuppa?" he asked walking towards the kitchen, leaving Sirius and Anne looking after him, eyebrows raised.

OOO

_Mid August - a few weeks before the wedding…_

Emily was soooo tired she could hardly keep her eyes open. Being her last year at university, the workload was just enormous, and although she had another semester to go, she didn't want to leave anything outstanding before they all left for the wedding in a few weeks.

They had already discussed that Harry and Ginny would go home three days before the wedding; everyone figured that would be enough time for Molly's fireworks to settle down, and hopefully enough time for Ginny to get used to being back in England.

As Emily dozed on the little couch in the girls' dorm room, her mind drifted back over the past few weeks.

She had been somewhat amused, followed by concern, at how the boys had reacted after Ginny had been rescued. They still continued to be amazed at all things magical, but then it seemed as though reality suddenly hit them. Phil went all quiet; Emily knew why that was though. They'd had Ginny to themselves for the whole year and suddenly a boyfriend shows up out of the blue, and she knew that, in a way, the boys felt as though they'd lost her.

But another thing that had finally hit them hard, was how serious the rescue actually was, and the danger they realised they'd placed themselves in. She knew they wouldn't have done anything differently, but after hearing that had happened to Draco in the blink of an eye, they had been quite sombre when they realised that the same thing could have happened to any one of them.

Out of the boys though, Emily thought that Fred had been the most relaxed about everything that had happened, but then she and Fred had been incredibly close since Ginny had been rescued and Emily thought that it was probably her influence and being able to talk about things in detail with her that had helped him come to grips with everything.

They were slowly coming back to life again, but those initial weeks after Ginny's rescue certainly had been interesting.

Harry had been like a cat on a hot tin roof. Ginny, although Emily suspected that she was probably still having nightmares of one sort or another, had been the most relaxed of everyone. But then she deserved to relax. She hadn't really relaxed in 3 years. She'd certainly paid her dues and _'she certainly deserved to take things easy for the rest of her life, quite frankly,_' Emily thought to herself fiercely.

Her mum, Sirius and Remus were checking in with them every day, either personally or via a message brought by an owl. Emily was being very patient with the adults, because she knew how hard it had been for Sirius to watch Harry fall apart and to in turn watch Ginny fall apart; his best friend's son and girlfriend. They may as well be his own children, he loved them that much.

The best part of course, was watching BeWITCHing Evil play at the pub. Through their experiences they had, without realising it, become a more cohesive unit. Their sets were much tighter and they were working together better then they ever had before, bringing Emily up on stage a few times a night to help out. Emily was having a blast! It was the only time she could really let her hair down.

She smiled as she shook herself and sat up to continue reading for an assignment that was due in a few days.

OOO

Sirius was watching Anne out of the corner of his eye. She was in the kitchen getting dinner ready and he was sitting at the kitchen table reading the local wizarding newspaper, pretending he was concentrating… but he actually wasn't.

He couldn't get over how close he and Anne had become since his arrival. Romance had certainly been the last thing on his mind when he'd left London to come looking for Harry. In fact, although he hadn't mentioned this to anyone, he certainly hadn't even considered romance a possibility at any point in his life. Sirius had always thought he was too damaged for anyone to get close to.

But somehow Anne had managed to do just that.

And Sirius wasn't quite sure how it had happened, either.

He wondered if -

"Sirius? Sirius?" Anne called.

Sirius, a little startled, gathered himself quickly. "Huh?"

"I just called you three times. Where were you?" asked Anne curiously. Anne was smiling at him gently. Sirius was looking at her seriously, his deep blue eyes looking right into her soul. She suppressed a shiver... she loved it when he looked at her like that. She loved him. She wasn't sure how it had happened; he was the most unlikely candidate if you dissected his background and personality - damaged, dark, brooding and a whole lot of pain and guilt buried deep inside him over Harry's parents... but she loved him nonetheless. And everyone their age was damaged by the past in one way or another.

"Oh, I was just thinking," Sirius finally said, not taking his eyes off Anne.

"What about?" prompted Anne.

"Stuff," was the one word response.

Anne just gazed back at him steadily, waiting for him to continue.

Sirius shifted his position to turn to face her fully. "I was just, um, thinking about us, actually," he said quietly.

"What about us?" asked Anne quietly.

"Well, I..." Sirius faltered for a moment. She had the best eyes he'd ever seen. They were gentle, loving, kind, full of laughter. They seemed to convey so much. "... I was wondering if, um, you, um, wanted to stay with me when we go back to England for the wedding." Sirius caught his breath for a moment. He actually hadn't meant to discuss this right at that moment, but like so many of their intimate conversations, he somehow always felt that it was okay to say what he was really feeling, when he wanted to; Anne didn't make him feel awkward or self conscious. He could be himself without feeling like he was being judged for his past sins and mistakes.

"Well, yes of course I want to stay with you. I thought that was already understood," Anne whispered, moving to sit herself gently on Sirius's lap.

Sirius looked up at Anne. He always felt excited whenever she was close. Like his body tingled all over. It was intoxicating and... and he suddenly realised that he never wanted to lose that feeling. He never wanted to lose Anne. He looked at her for a long moment, his brain racing at a million miles an hour to process what he was really feeling. It had been so long since he'd felt like this. Or had he ever felt like this?

He had had crushes on a few girls at Hogwarts, and plenty of girls had chased him for seven years, but he realised that he'd never actually fallen for any of them. He'd been attracted to them physically - like any normal teenager - but Anne was the first woman who had appealed to him on many levels. He was physically attracted to her of course, but it was more than that; it was how she had survived on her own, it was how she had cared for Emily all these years, it how she'd survived the loss of her husband at the hand of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It was the way she'd cared for Harry and Ginny, the way she'd taken charge and kept them all calm when Ginny had been kidnapped, it was watching her work at the Department of Mysteries, co-ordinating so many different areas.

He had come to love the person she was on the inside, and he realised that he wanted to be a better person, for her.

His brain froze for a moment, when he realised what he'd just been thinking.

_He'd come to love the person she was..._ he came to a sudden realisation and knew that he needed to say something now, before he ran out of courage!

"Siri - " began Anne, before Sirius quickly placed his right index finger gently over her lips to shush her.

"I love you," Sirius interrupted her, his voice so quiet that she wouldn't have heard him unless she was as close as she actually was. Sirius waited to see what her reaction would be.

Anne froze for a moment, looking away, processing what he'd just said. _'Did he really just...?'_ she thought to herself. She brought her gaze back to his and saw the truth in his eyes.

"A - " began Sirius, when she stopped him the way that he'd stopped her just a moment ago.

"I love you too," replied Anne and before Sirius could respond, she sealed her lips over his in a gentle kiss, which quickly became passionate as they realised their true feelings for one another.

OOO

Remus was feeling a little flustered. He'd dealt with these kids for a while now; throughout the war, before the war, when he was their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, but he hadn't seen them this animated in such a long time that it was taking some getting used to. And he was happy to get used to it.

Remus walked down the hallway of the Australian Ministry of Magic. Today was the day that Emily and the boys were leaving for England, and the Ministry had decided that it would be better, given recent events and for security reasons, if they arranged their departure from within the Ministry. Well, sort of. You couldn't actually use a portkey within the Ministry, but with Anne's help they had found an area that could be "de-portkeyed" for a short period of time without breaching the security of the Ministry too much. And it would only be for a couple of minutes and then they could seal security again.

As Remus turned the corner he could hear squeals of laughter coming from Courtroom 1, the chosen _Temporary_ _Portkey_ _Departure__Lounge_. He smiled.

"This must be unbelievably intimidating when it's full of people," remarked Phil, looking at the many levels of seating that rose to a high domed ceiling.

"To you maybe," chortled Shane. "I think it's great. Come on Emily, do some magic for us... you know we love it when you do something we've never seen before." Fred, Phil and Shane looked at Emily expectantly, then broke out laughing, till they were holding their sides.

Emily just stood regally, looking amused, and then with a flick of her wand, she turned out the lights and created a small bluebell flame. It wasn't a spell that many people knew off the top of their head, but it was one of the first things she'd learnt for the NEWTs to get extra credit.

The laughter stopped almost instantly, and in the feeble blue light Remus could see the look of awe on the boys' faces.

"Well, whenever you are all ready, let's get the security dropped and we can all get out of here..." began Remus.

"... and I can go home," intervened Emily quietly.

Everyone turned to look at Emily.

"I know I was born in Australia, but England has always felt like it was a home far away, that I'd never got to know very well," concluded Emily sincerely.

Anne walked into the Courtroom just as Emily was speaking. "And I can't wait to show it to you."

Emily walked over to her Mum and hugged her briefly.

"Okay, let's shoot this Popsicle stand," said Fred cheerfully.

"What?" exclaimed all the wizards in the room, Remus, Anne, Sirius, Emily and Francis, who was co-ordinating their departure, looking confused.

"Um, let's leave..." explained Fred, looking perplexed.

"Oh," said Sirius. "Sorry, it's that Australian, muggle slang that threw us," he finished wryly.

"Yeah, even I haven't heard that one," said Emily laughing.

"Well, if you just let me know when you're ready..." said Francis, a little intimidated by being in the company of so many of the powerful wizards who had brought down Voldemort.

"Yes, yes, of course," said Anne. "Sorry Francis for taking so long. Let's go, shall we?"

Francis muttered a spell, which the kids assumed removed the security from the Courtroom; they'd had the process explained to them the day before. Then Francis took a tennis ball from under his robes; the portkey.

Everyone closed in a tight circle as Francis said the spells that would activate the tennis ball into a portkey. Remus put the tennis ball in the palm of his hand and everyone crowded closer and touched the top of the ball.

Seconds later Francis was alone in the Courtroom. He restored the protective wards and returned to his office.

OOO

_**3 days earlier...**_

Ginny stood in the kitchen of The Notch, not really looking at anything, just staring into space, when Hermione walked in.

"Morning Ginny," mumbled Hermione sleepily. "Where are the boys?"

They had arrived late the night before and had decided to give Ginny a really good nights' sleep before they went over to The Burrow to face her mother.

"Harry is still asleep and I haven't seen Ron since I got up a few minutes ago," replied Ginny, her voice flat, emotionless.

"Well, he's probably gone into Stagsden to get some food for everyone," remarked Hermione wryly as she opened the fridge and the cupboards in turn. "We were so busy just before we left to follow Harry to Australia that we really didn't think about what we were coming back to," she smiled, her voice alight with amusement.

Hermione turned to face Ginny, who hadn't moved since Hermione had entered the kitchen. "Ginny? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Ginny replied flatly, trying her very best to smile for Hermione.

"Ginny, we've known each other far too long for me _not_ to believe you." Hermione crossed the small kitchen to pick up Ginny's tiny hands in her own, knowing full well what was bothering Ginny. "It will all be fine Ginny. I promise you," Hermione intoned gently, looking caringly into Ginny's worried eyes. "Your mum loves you very much, and she will understand everything; well she will by the time you've finished explaining it to her and then she'll have Harry, Ron, Sirius, Remus and Arthur to contend with," Hermione finished with a small laugh. "Not even Molly is going to be able to stand up to that much convincing."

Ginny looked terrified at the prospect. "It the fact that she's going to need so much convincing that worries me."

"Stop worrying. It's not that she will need convincing ten times over," Hermione explained, "I think it's going to be more that she'll be worried about everyone else's reaction." Ginny looked even more fearful at that remark, that Hermione quickly corrected herself. "Not that your brothers will need convincing Ginny. I know that for a fact. They just love you and want you home."

Hermione wrapped her arms around Ginny tightly, trying to give her all the love she needed to get through the morning, and indeed the whole day. Hermione had a feeling that Arthur would want the rest of the family to celebrate Ginny's return by the evening at the earliest... but everything depended on Molly's reaction first.

Hermione steered Ginny to the bathroom, instructing as she went. "Now go and have a nice shower, or bath. I'll go and get you some clean clothes and then I'll have breakfast ready for you when you get out. Take your time Ginny." Ginny nodded her head numbly, looking lost, as Hermione left her in peace.

OOO

When Hermione returned to the kitchen, Harry was in there. "Morning Harry."

"Morning Hermione, have you seen Ginny this morning?"

"Yes, I've just gently pushed her into the bathroom to have a shower or bath. I was going to get some clean clothes for her and get breakfast organised."

"Is she okay?" asked Harry worriedly.

"Not really."

"She's terrified of seeing Molly again," said Harry, knowing what Ginny's fears were.

"Today is going to be almost as exhausting a day as when you found her and Ron and I turned up unexpectedly," reminded Hermione.

Harry looked even more concerned. "Do you think she's up to this?"

"It's not a question of whether she is or isn't Harry. This needs to be done and over with," Hermione said seriously, her hair looking quite wild in contrast to her serious expression.

"I know, I..." began Harry, "... just wish I could go through it for her. She's been through so many ordeals that I wonder if she's really getting over one thing before she gets a chance to heal and deal with the next drama." Harry's green eyes flashed with a protectiveness that made Hermione thrill at the relationship she had seen develop again between her two best friends.

"Harry, I never thought I say this, and please don't think I'm being patronising or rude, but you have grown up so much in the last couple of years. It's quite amazing - and wonderful," commented Hermione. "And Harry, you know better than anyone that it **all** takes time, and she's got the rest of her life to heal and move on, and she is already doing that... just be patient with her okay?"

Harry nodded, smiling wryly at Hermione's commonsense. "So let's get breakfast organised shall we?" said Harry with a determined look on his solemn features.


	25. Molly's Reaction

**Chapter 25**

**MOLLY'S REACTION**

Ginny stood in the shower, letting the water cascade over her; trying to cleanse away her fears.

As a witch she had plenty of tools with which to fight enemies, including Voldemort; but against her Mum, she felt defenceless. As understanding as Harry, Sirius, Remus, Hermione and Ron had been, there was still truth in Ron's original reaction and she didn't half wonder what the rest of her family's reaction would be to her return. And would her family forgive her for running away?

Ginny took a deep breath, steeled herself and stepped out of the shower; she stared at her reflection in the misty mirror for a few minutes, sighed heavily again and then began to get herself ready to go to The Burrow.

&&&&

"What's taking her so long?" asked Ron edgily.

"Ron, be patient. You know that she's terrified right now don't you? And remember? She's only got your reaction to gauge everyone's else by, so she's probably trying to prepare herself. Give her some time, there's no rush. Molly doesn't know we're coming and Arthur said to take our time this morning. He wants this to be as stress free as possible for Ginny **_and _**for Molly. She's going to get quite a shock you know," explained Hermione as patiently as she could, standing in the living room her fingertips tapping against her thigh; the only real sign that she, too, was nervous.

Hermione knew what her role would be today. Peacekeeper. Between everyone. She was the most level headed and given that Harry would be quite wound up today, she didn't expect him to really be of any help to her. He would just be in there defending Ginny to Molly, steeling himself for a fight.

But Hermione didn't really think it would come to that. At least she hoped not. She'd come to know Molly quite well since they'd first met, but especially in the last three years since she'd left Hogwarts, and she thought that with a _little _intervention, Molly would be just fine.

A door opened and all three turned their heads towards the hallway; they could just hear Ginny's footsteps and as they held their breath, she emerged into the lounge room.

"So," said Ginny stiltedly, like her mouth had got stuck. "Let's go before I change my mind." She had a very small smile on her face. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

The four of them stood together in the middle of the lounge room, drew their wands and with a flick of their wrists, disapparated.

&&&&

Molly was feeling quite peaceful this morning. Percy had gone to work; Penny had taken Leo to a girlfriend's place for a visit and Arthur was going to work late today, because of all the overtime he'd worked lately, and was currently in the garden out the back of The Burrow, throwing some gnomes around.

Molly smiled. It wasn't often that she got to sit peacefully with a cup of tea and have her husband around at the same time and she was quite cherishing the feeling.

Hearing Arthur's footsteps at the back doorstep, she turned to glance over her shoulder, to smile at him, and her smile faltered momentarily and then broadened… as Harry Potter stepped through the doorway.

"Harry!" cried Molly, jumping to her feet and reaching out to Harry as he moved into the room and into Molly's embrace.

"Hi Mrs Weasley," said Harry quietly. He was so nervous. Ginny was still outside and would stay there until the right time. Ginny and her dad had already had a brief reunion… but the next stage had to be handled delicately. "It's good to see you again."

Molly let him go and looked up at him, hope shining in her eyes. "Are you back for good?" she asked tentatively.

"For the moment, yes," replied Harry as non-commitally as he could. "But guess who I bumped into at the Portkey Authority Terminal?" Molly looked at him questioningly and then behind Harry she noticed her youngest son, Ron, with Hermione.

"Ron, Hermione!" cried Molly again. "I didn't realise you were due back today, I was waiting to get an owl from you first."

"I know Mum, sorry about that, but after discussion with Bill we decided to surprise you instead," smiled Ron cheekily, desperately hoping he was fooling his Mum.

"Hi Molly," intervened Hermione, giving her surrogate mum a big hug and praying that this would all go smoothly.

"Well now, look at the two of you… you've even got a bit of colour too," remarked Molly. "Well, I don't know who to - " began Molly looking from her son and fiancé to Harry.

"- interrogate first?" interrupted Ron cheekily, whilst Hermione tried to smack him over the head; missing because of his quick reflexes.

Molly put her hands on her hips, pinning Ron with her gaze. "Well, since you've been away such a short amount of time Ron, why don't you and Hermione tell me what you've been up to the past couple of weeks, and then Harry and I can sit down to a nice, long chat," stated Molly matter-of-factly.

"Excellent suggestion dear. Why don't I get us all a cuppa, eh?" suggested Arthur who was standing behind all of them. Arthur moved into the kitchen, with Harry following him, whilst Ron and Hermione sat down in the family room with Molly.

&&&&

Arthur and Harry stopped in the kitchen, just looking at each other, not speaking. Neither of them really knowing what to say next; they were both nervous. Arthur spoke first though.

"Ginny is looking remarkably well Harry, given all she's been through," began Arthur quietly, as he magicked the kettle onto the stove and the cups and saucers into their places ready to be filled.

"I'm glad you think so Mr Weasley," began Harry.

"Harry, please call me Arthur. We've invited Hermione to do the same and I think you're a bit old to be calling us Mr and Mrs, don't you?" Arthur smiled genially at Harry.

"Yeah, I guess," replied Harry, his head bowed. He stood there feeling guilty at how badly he'd protected Ginny; he began to feel overwhelmed with all they'd been through, at all that _Ginny_ had been through - without him to protect her.

Arthur watched Harry closely. Having watched Harry grow up over the years had given Arthur more insight into Harry then Harry would probably be comfortable with. But then having seven children tended to give Arthur an edge when dealing with other people's children. And right now, although Harry was trying to hide it, Arthur could interpret the expressions on his tired features.

"Harry, at some point you're going to have to stop kicking yourself," stated Arthur blandly, curious as to what Harry's reaction would be a comment like that.

Harry's head whipped up and looked at Arthur in surprise. "What do you mean?" he edged, not really wanting to know how Arthur had guessed what he was thinking.

"Harry, I would be feeling the same way, I assure you."

Harry was about to come up with his usual tactic to avoid the issue like he always did, when he stopped himself. Arthur's comment about him being too old to call them Mr and Mrs anymore came back to him all of a sudden; and he realised that if he could be honest with Ginny about his feelings, then maybe he should be extending this courtesy to Mr and Mrs Weasley. After all, they had been more like his parents than the Dursley's had ever been and he knew deep in his heart that he could trust Arthur like he trusted Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

"Mr Weasley," he began until he saw Mr Weasley's brows raise questioningly. "Sorry, Arthur, that's going to take some getting used to." Harry paused for a moment. "I just… I'm feeling guilty. Guilty that I haven't protected Ginny and kept her safe."

"Harry. How can you say that?" started Arthur incredulity in his voice. "You've risked your life to keep her safe. If you hadn't gone in search of her, goodness knows if she would even be alive today. Especially given recent events."

Harry looked at Arthur uncertainly. "You're not mad at me then?" asked Harry.

"What on earth for?" Arthur said steadily.

"Well, since I found her she's been kidnapped, twice, tortured at the hands of Draco Malfoy and Adam, subjected to the presence of a Dementor, and…" his voice trailed off, helpless.

"All of which are a consequence of her original actions Harry, not yours," replied Arthur calmly. Although he loved all his children equally, he was able to be objective about them, whereas Molly couldn't. And although he knew that Ginny had been through ordeals that he might never hear the details of, he didn't want Harry living with any more guilt. He'd had enough of that to deal with whilst he'd been growing up.

Arthur put his hand steadily on Harry's shoulder. "The thing you do the best Harry, is loving my only daughter, and I'll be eternally grateful that you are part of, not only her life, but ours too. C'mon. Let's get this tea organised and let's get this over with, I'm not sure I can handle the suspense for too much longer. I prefer Molly when she's all riled up… I tend to know what I'm dealing with then."

Harry looked up at Arthur again, tonnes of questions running a continuous circuit in his head; but he realised that they'd been in the kitchen for too long and they didn't want Molly coming to find them.

&&&&

Harry and Arthur walked back into the lounge room to find Molly pouring over the photos that Bill had taken, rather hurriedly, of Ron and Hermione during their _short _visit.

"Here you go," began Arthur conversationally, levitating the tray to the coffee table.

"Ah, perfect timing Arthur." Molly put the album aside and began to pour for everyone. "So, Harry, I'm sure you've already caught Ron and Hermione up on your travels, but…"

'_Here it comes',_ Harry thought to himself, _'the question I'm most afraid of.'_

"… I'd really like to hear if you have any news about my daughter." It was a statement. One that required an answer. Now.

Harry stood stock still. The look Molly was giving him was hard to interpret. He sensed Arthur fidgeting, Hermione giving him looks of encouragement, Ron's slightly terrified, but 'thumbs up' type of look. But Molly… she was pinning him with a look… it was hard to say whether she was just anxious or whether she was waiting for bad news, or whether she was in 'kill' mode, as the twins' often called it.

Harry, for lack of anything to do, shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted his stance to a more casual one, trying to force himself to relax. "Well, Mrs Weasley," he began, before she cut him off.

"Harry," Molly stood up and walked towards him. She gently pulled his hands out of his pockets and held them in her own, keeping her eyes steadily on his. "Please tell me. Whatever it is, good or bad, I need to know." She paused as her eyes welled with unshed tears.

Harry gulped nervously. He wasn't phased by the gentle tone at all… there was a firestorm coming and he quickly decided that they should get it out of the way as quickly as possible.

"Molly," Harry started tentatively, when Molly's eyes left him and looked over his shoulder.

"Hi Mum," came the quiet, shaky voice of Ginny.

Harry's hands fell from Molly's grasp as Molly moved past him. You could hear a pin drop, it was so quiet.

"Ginny, love," began Molly, her voice wavering slightly.

Harry went to move to Ginny's side, but Ginny gestured at him to stay where he was. The look on Ginny's face was one of strength. And peace. In the short time they'd been at The Burrow, it seemed she had come to terms with what was about to happen.

&&&&

_**Earlier, in the back garden…**_

Ginny sat peacefully on the bench near the herb garden.

Seeing her father again after so long had been emotional. But true to form, her Dad hadn't even blinked an eyelid and had just wrapped her tightly in his arms.

'_Ginny, I'm so glad you're safe and home again," stated Arthur wrapping her in his embrace. "I love you, and missed you.'_

They had only spoken for a brief moment, but once everyone had moved inside, Ginny had, initially, collapsed onto the bench crying; utterly grateful that she had such a wonderful father.

As she sat, head bowed, trying to steady her breath, she felt a sense of peace that she hadn't really felt before.

Ginny was ready; ready to face her Mum. It would all work out okay. She knew her Mum loved her; like her Dad did.

And she knew there would be fireworks, and maybe she wouldn't be forgiven, but she knew that even if her Mum didn't understand, at least Harry, Ron and Hermione understood. And, she realised, that once Sirius and Remus showed up; well, Ginny knew that Remus was one of the few people that could calm her mother and make her see another's point of view in the calmest way possible.

She lifted her head and looked at the house where she had grown up. She had done so much growing up in such a short amount of time. But, Ginny realised, it was all worth now that she and Harry were together again, at the end of it all.

With a hopeful smile on her lips, she got up and walked towards the house and snuck just inside the back door, waiting for her cue to walk in.

&&&&

"_Ginny, love," began Molly, her voice wavering slightly._

"Mum," repeated Ginny softly. Whilst she had been standing silently just inside the back door, listening to their conversation, Ginny had decided that she would just let her Mum do the talking. She felt that taking the receptive approach would be best, rather than spilling out the whole story in a rush of explanation. That would come. In time.

Molly was frozen on the spot. It was a rare moment and one that, in some ways, everyone was relishing, because they were certain they wouldn't see it again in their lifetime.

Molly's mouth opened, but nothing came out. Everyone waited.

'It's odd,' thought Hermione, 'that Molly hasn't stormed across the room to grab her yet."

"She must be in shock," whispered Ron to Hermione, as if reading her mind.

Molly turned around slowly, looking from her husband, to Ron, to Hermione, to Harry and then back to Ginny, before crossing the room and enveloping Ginny in her arms tightly.

"You're home," Molly whispered as she clung to her only daughter.

Everyone else stood silent. Hermione sniffed, as she tried _not_ to cry in front of everyone, though she noticed that Arthur looked suspiciously red around the eyes, and she didn't blame him one bit. It was a beautiful, poignant moment, and she felt privileged to witness it.

Molly released Ginny from her embrace and stood back, looking at her. Molly looked as if she wanted to say something, but Ginny quickly spoke up.

"Mum, I know you're just itching to read me the riot act, and I know I've hurt you and you're disappointed with me…" Ginny faltered for a moment, not really knowing what to say.

Molly looked steadily at Ginny, counting to ten in her head before she said anything. Although Molly hadn't spoken about Ginny with Arthur recently, she suddenly realised that he'd known for a while. Her accusations to him recently on his whereabouts came back to her in a flash; she felt guilty about that now, but at the same time angry with her beloved husband. There were too many thoughts going around in her head, if she didn't' say something soon she would explode, like she normally did, and she didn't want Ginny dealing with that.

"Ginny, I'm…" Molly faltered as well, then quickly regained herself, "I don't know what to say. I'm just standing here thinking of what I said to Arthur just recently about why he was acting mysterious and I'm actually angry at him, because I've realised that he's known that Harry found you for a while," and with this remark she turned to face her husband _and_ Harry. "I'm angry at the fact that you knew Harry had found her! Why didn't you tell me?" Molly, in an instant, had reverted to type.

She stood there, her back to Ginny for the moment, hands on hips, looking for all the world like she was going to scold the twins for misbehaving.

"Now Molly," started Arthur placatingly, moving forward a couple of steps.

"Don't you Molly me, Arthur. How could you not tell me? There had better be a darn good reason why not, or…"

"Or what Mum?" asked Ron bracingly. He'd never stood up to his Mum before, none of them had, except for Bill about his earring and Ginny from time to time, but he figured now was as a good a time as any to make a stand. "There were bloody good reasons actually!"

"Ronald, your language please!" admonished Molly.

"Stuff that," Ron shot back quickly. "What is my little bit of swearing compared to what we've just been through."

"Like what?" said Molly. "What's happened?" She looked back at Ginny, who amazingly enough was standing quite still, serene and ready for whatever was going to come her way.

"Mum, there's so much to tell you and most of it's only happened in the last month or so. Why don't we sit down, have a cuppa and we'll all try and tell you what's happened." Ginny wasn't smiling, but she was calm.

Harry moved to her side, putting his arm around her and planting a gentle kiss upon her hair, and spoke. "Molly, please believe us when I say that we had Ginny's best interests at heart all the time." He spoke quietly and steadily. The kind of quiet authority you'd expect from The Boy Who Lived, and the man who had helped defeat Voldemort.

Molly sat down, with Arthur at her side. Ginny and Harry sat opposite her and Hermione got comfortable in Arthur's cosy chair with Ron sitting on the arm of it.

As Hermione poured tea for everyone, Harry started at the beginning of his story of how he had tracked Ginny, and what had transpired since his arrival in Australia.

There were many interruptions and questions from Molly, who tried not to overreact to everything, given that she knew she was hearing this all in the past tense. And there were tears… from everyone.


	26. In the Garden

**CHAPTER 26**

**IN THE GARDEN**

Molly had kept herself pretty much under control; she'd shed some tears, asked all the inevitable question, and she'd tried NOT to jump up and down at almost everything that had happened to her **_only _**daughter.

That had been just over an hour ago. The morning had all but disappeared, and now Ginny was upstairs sleeping, with a silencing charm on the room so that nothing would wake her. Having to relive everything again hadn't been easy, and Molly knew that she would have to go through it all again when her brothers saw her.

Molly was in the kitchen, preparing dinner for that evening when the whole family would descend on The Burrow to welcome Ginny home. She was stirring the soup, manually for a change, her foot tapping away; and not to any music. Molly was ready to explode.

Everyone else had left Molly to get organised; they were outside de-gnoming the garden with Arthur whom, she sensed, had just walked into the kitchen.

Arthur stood watching Molly, knowing full well that he hadn't really seen the full extent of her emotions on Ginny's return, but he was grateful that she'd let Ginny off from seeing the emotional wrath that _he_ was about to experience.

"How could you Arthur?" said Molly quietly. "How could you not tell me she'd been found."

"Molly - " began Arthur, but he was quickly interrupted.

"Don't you trust me?" she snapped, still not looking at him.

"Yes," said Arthur calmly.

"So…?" she asked, whipping around to face him.

"Molly, love, please let me explain. We all knew how desperate you were to have Harry find her. And you know how you would have reacted. You would have wanted to go straight to Australia to see her, and it was decided - "

"By whom?" Molly shot out.

"Everyone," interrupted Sirius.

Molly shifted her gaze to watch Sirius enter the kitchen, his light blue eyes steely and his face rigidly set in the face of confrontation.

Molly, not even missing a beat, got stuck into Sirius. "And what gives you the right to make any decisions about the welfare of my daughter?"

"The fact that I've known her since she was a teenager, Molly. The fact that my godson loves her, which means if he is my family, then she is my family. Your behaviour right now is _exactly_ the reason why we didn't tell you. Ginny was in enough shock at being found, then with everything else that happened, having to deal with you would have been too much, and quite frankly we had enough to deal with."

Sirius, although he looked calm, was ready for a fight. After being briefed by Harry outside, Sirius had known it wasn't over where Molly was concerned.

"Sirius, you have no tact at all do you?" said Remus mildly, leaning against the door of the kitchen folding his arms across his chest in an apparently casual stance.

"None," replied Molly. She was staring daggers at Sirius, who was, typically, looking unperturbed by Molly's anger.

"Molly," began Remus.

"No, don't defend him Remus. He's not a child," Molly spoke matter-of-factly.

"I'm glad you finally realised that Molly," criticised Sirius. There was a lot unspoken between these two… always had been. "Now I'd just like to remind you of a few things:

"1. You are not the only one who cares for Harry.  
2. You are not his mother.  
3. You are not the only adult who loves Ginny like a daughter.  
4. I was his father's best friend, which hopefully counts for something as far as my place in his life; and  
5. and I apologise for being so blunt, but you're like a dog with a bone when it comes to these children, and they actually don't need mothering anymore."

Sirius continued more gently. "Molly, I… I'm sorry, but they are adults and can make decisions for themselves and make mistakes for themselves." Sirius took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, waiting for Molly to slap him.

Molly went to say something when Sirius interrupted her again.

"No, don't. I'm sick and tired of having to justify myself to you. And I'm not doing it anymore."

Molly blinked. She and Sirius had always been at each other. Ever since Voldemort had returned to power at the end of the children's fourth year.

Sirius began again, his tone quiet and gentle - very un-Sirius-like. "I know you think I'm immature, and that I'm not responsible enough to be a father or role model, but just think back, Molly, about what I've had to endure; all those years presumed guilty and my freedom stripped from me; all those years not knowing what had happened to Harry. You're not the only one who's had a tough time you know. You haven't lost anyone in your family." He looked at her steadily and then quietly left the room, leaving an astonished Molly standing in the middle of the kitchen with her mouth open.

&&&&&

Sirius stood in front of the back door, taking a steadying breath to calm himself.

He had just taken a huge risk speaking out like he had. And for the first time in his life, Sirius had acted rationally and logically, and not flown off the handle, as was his usual custom.

He hoped Molly, and especially Arthur, could forgive him for it. He just wanted this to be over for Ginny and for Harry. And for himself.

He was finding himself longing more and more for a normal life.

Ha! Normal? What the hell was that? He hadn't had normal since he'd graduated from Hogwarts and joined the Order of the Phoenix when he was, what? 17 or 18?

But he found himself more and more, recently, longing for _exactly_ that. Normal.

With Anne.

Sirius smiled to himself and stepped out into the garden.

&&&&&

Molly, Arthur and Remus were still in the kitchen. Not a word had been spoken.

Remus was just waiting for Arthur and Molly's reaction. For his part, he was partly impressed that Sirius had done what he'd done as _calmly_ as he had, and partly annoyed at him for being a tad insensitive with his timing. But Remus also knew that it had had to happen sooner or later.

Remus watched and waited for Molly's reaction.

"Well, I…" Molly sputtered, her eyes as wide as saucers. She looked like she was going to totally blow her stack, but something stopped her. She looked towards Remus, who was watching her with a carefully schooled, impassive look on his face; she then turned slightly to face her husband.

In one smooth motion, she stepped towards Arthur, as he opened his arms, and stepped into her husband's embrace.

And with that Remus took his leave and left them alone.

&&&&&

As he walked outside, Remus could see Sirius talking to animatedly to Harry. Harry's head was bowed, listening to Sirius, but it was obvious that despite his earlier calm demeanor, he was quite upset at Molly.

"I mean, anyone would think I'd never been in a war or had any responsibility whatsoever!" cried Sirius heatedly. As he ran his fingers through his hair, he noticed Remus walking across the garden and immediately looked guilty.

Remus raised his eyebrows, amusement flittering across his face. "No, I'm not going to lecture you Sirius. I have to say I was almost impressed at how restrained you were."

"Oh." Sirius didn't seem to know how to respond to this compliment.

"And I think, in the long run, it might have been for the best."

"What's for the best?" asked Ron. "Is mum alright?"

"Yes, she'll be fine Ron," began Remus. "She was just hearing a few things from Sirius that he's never spoken up about before - and she was a little shocked and probably upset by it, but it's all for the best. I wouldn't worry too much, Ron."

Ron, trusting Remus implicitly, nodded his head.

"Sorry Ron," apologised Sirius, "but your mum and I haven't really been on the same wave length when it comes to what's been right for Harry, or even the rest of you kids. We've always had opposite points of view on things."

"And of course no one ever bothered to ask the kids did they?" mused Harry, giving Sirius an encouraging smile.

"Nope. Not a chance," replied Sirius quickly. "I mean how could you possibly have any sort of opinion whatsoever about something that you were intimately involved with?" his mouth quirked to one side, immediately lightening the mood

"Well, at least we loved them in our own way," came Molly's reply from behind Sirius.

Sirius turned, looking even more guilty; like he'd just been caught by Professor McGonagall in the middle of a school prank. Molly stood facing Sirius.

"Yes, we did," came Sirius's reply. "Just differently."

"Hmmm," murmured Molly, before reaching for Sirius and hugging him tightly.

Sirius, taken totally by surprise, saw Arthur over Molly's shoulder nodding at him. Whatever had just happened, everything was obviously okay and that was fine with Sirius. He hugged Molly back.

She let him go, but caught his hands in hers. "I'm sorry if I've been tough on you Sirius." Molly paused here, taking a deep breath before beginning again. "I guess with all that has happened since Harry and Ron went to Hogwarts, and… I've just been so wrapped up in my family that I forgot that you'd lost yours."

Molly had tears in her eyes, as did Sirius. It was always painful to go back, even if it was to apologise.

"I don't know where I would have been, during both wars, without Arthur and the children. I haven't ever really understood what you lost the night Voldemort disappeared and Harry went to the Dursley's. I guess losing Ginny just sort of really made me realise how grateful I am to have the family I _do_ have."

Sirius was silent, his eyes filled with tears; the loss of James and Lily reflecting on his features, his eyes taking on that haunted, dark look again.

Harry shuddered. He hated seeing that looked on Sirius's face. It was the look he had just after his escape from Azkaban.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped my boundaries," muttered Sirius. "I certainly don't want to lose you or Arthur because of my thoughtlessness."

"Never you mind about that," Molly intoned matter-of-factly. "It was probably just what I needed to hear. And I want to thank you for taking care of everyone in Australia. From what Arthur has just told me, you were just as worried about everyone as I would have been. And I know you love them as much as I do, and I will always be grateful to you for bringing them all home safely."

A small sniffle was heard off to the side and Molly turned to her left to see Hermione tucked protectively into Ron's arms, crying. She smiled through her own tears, noting that everyone was similarly affected, though the men were trying to hide it.

Sirius couldn't though. A single tear tracked down his cheek. Molly lifted her hand to gently wipe it away. "Despite how we've treated each other over the years Sirius, I do love you, _and_ Remus. You are as much a part of our extended family as anyone is, and you will always be welcome in our home."

Sirius hung his head, his shoulders shaking slightly with emotion.

Remus stepped up to his friend, taking him off Molly's hands and hugging him tightly. He was possibly the only one there who could truly understand Sirius's loss over the years.

It was an odd sight to behold. These two grown men, shedding tears for events that happened over 20 years ago; for all that they had lost. It was very moving and a wonderful sight to see.

Everyone moved away from them; still remaining in the garden, but giving them some privacy. Despite the sound charm on Ginny's room, no one wanted to go inside. The garden in late summer was blooming, fragrant and just gorgeous to be in, with the sun shining brightly.

Molly and Arthur went back inside to continue with the preparations for dinner.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were content just to relax. They conjured up some blankets and spread them out before laying down and stretching lazily beside each other on the ground, listening to the quiet murmur of Remus and Sirius talking a little way across the garden on the bench, and seeing how many creatures they could hear around the countryside, with Hermione testing the boys' knowledge of what each sound was.

&&&&&

An hour or so later, Arthur came outside with a plate of sandwiches for everyone. "Lunchtime! Now eat up… it almost two o'clock," exclaimed Arthur. "I can't believe you haven't stampeded the kitchen before now. I thought you would all be famished!"

Everyone scrambled up from where they were to meet Arthur in the middle of the garden, tucking heartily into Molly's sandwiches. There was silence as everyone munched away. A moment later Molly came out with a pitcher of pumpkin juice and glasses for everyone.

"This should revive everyone," pipped Molly.

"Only if it's got a splash of firewhiskey in it, Molly," laughed Sirius, who was looking far more relaxed again.

"Or at the very least, Mum, we need some Butterbeers," Ron mumbled, with a mouth full of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full Ron, and I do have Butterbeer, but I was saving it for tonight. If we have any now, we'll run out and I really didn't want anyone to have to leave and go shopping," mused Molly. "I don't want anyone, especially the press, realising that you're back Harry and that you've found Ginny after all this time. They would have a field day over this story."

"You know I hadn't even thought about that," worried Harry, "but I guess it's too late now. Someone at the PAT will have alerted the media by now, surely."

"It doesn't matter, even if they have Harry," replied Arthur, "because this entire area is off limits until further notice to everyone except family and specifically named people. I had the Ministry help organise it when I knew you were coming back."

'Good thinking," said Remus, "this may actually need some long term consideration actually."

"Well, they won't get very far," interrupted Ginny calmly.

Everyone turned to see Ginny leaning out of her bedroom window.

"Gin, are you okay?" Harry immediately questioned.

"Yes love, I'm fine. Just let me freshen up and I'll be down in a few minutes."

'I was actually hoping she would sleep longer than that," remarked Molly slowly. "Are you sure she's okay Harry?"

"Well, I think there's still some healing still to go, but, yeah, I think she's doing fine." He paused momentarily, trying to gauge how much to divulge to Ginny's mum. "She's, umm, she's not sleeping very well." Everyone waited for Harry to explain further. 'I think it's the time she spent with the Dementor. I think it's stirred up stuff from the past."

"Oh dear," worried Molly.

"Well, ummm, I'm watching over her Molly, so, ahhh, she's not afraid once she wakes up during the night." Harry gulped nervously, unsure of Molly's reaction to Harry's admittance of his and Ginny's possible intimacy.

"Well, I glad to hear that," interposed Arthur smoothly. "We know she's in good hands with you to protect her, Harry."

"Protect who?" asked Ginny as she joined everyone on the blankets, grabbing herself a sandwich and eating as though she hadn't eaten in a week. Harry smiled. It was a good sign.

"Well, not you Ginny Pinner, because we know you can handle yourself," teased Ron, pulling her pigtail good-naturedly.

"Ohhh, I don't know about that. I think we can easily say I've failed remarkably well at taking care of myself," pondered Ginny a little sadly.

"That's not true Ginny," espoused Remus. "You were living quite independently, studying, supporting yourself, spending time with friends. That _is_ taking care of yourself. You couldn't possibly have known that Harry was looking for you, or that Draco was even around to extract revenge. That was all totally out of your hands."

"Actually, if anyone has failed, it's me," stated Harry. Everyone immediately started to protest and counteract his statement. "No, it's true. Draco was following me - and I had no idea. You'd think that me of all people would have figured out that I was being followed. All this has happened because I went after her in the first place." Harry wasn't upset, it was just what he did - take all the responsibility on his shoulders.

"Harry," whispered Ginny. "I think it's pretty safe to say that I would **_not _**have made it this far if you _hadn't_ found me. This is not your fault. It's mine. If I hadn't run away, you wouldn't have followed, Draco wouldn't have become obsessed the way he did and none of this would have happened."

"Actually, remarked Hermione sensibly, "I think it's safe to say that if we have to apportion blame here, let's just dump it all onto Voldemort. I mean let's face it - it's his actions that kick-started this chain of events you know." She took a sip of pumpkin juice and continued. "I know everyone here feels some level of blame over something; Sirius - for not being able to save Lily and James; Remus - for not checking that Harry was okay with the Dursley's; Ron - for not being able to protect his little sister; Me - for not having the natural foresight to see all this before it happened…" she smiled a little wryly, "… well I was at the top of 7th year at Hogwarts you know - I'm supposed to know everything, aren't I?"

At this, Ron kissed her soundly on the lips before she could continue. "Mmm, thanks Ron. Continuing on… Harry - well you've always felt responsible for everything that's happened since you first came to Hogwarts and it's been **_so_** hard to knock that nobility complex out of you, although Ron's tried many, many times. Arthur, Molly - I'm sure that at some point you have felt guilty about something to do with us kids or me or Harry, whether it being able to give Harry a proper home, thinking you didn't protect him or us from all the Dark stuff that was happening…

".. but you know what? We're all still here. I know it seems like a miracle that we've survived as much as we have, but we're still here. Voldemort has been destroyed - for good. Draco is now dead, Adam will never see the light of day again, if I have anything to do with it, and we are now free to _really_ get on with our lives. We have so much to live for now… so many reasons to just let it go. And I know that won't be as easy as just saying it, but there's so much good stuff yet to happen and I think that's as good a reason as any to let the past go… once and for all."

There was silence. Hermione, always so opinionated and passionate, had just made the longest speech to this group ever. Hermione was always careful to be respectful to her adult peers. She admired Remus and Sirius so much… and all that Molly and Arthur had done for the Order, and for her personally, just couldn't be put into words - their contribution was priceless, and the outcome even more so.

"Wow, Ron was right, you really don't shut up at all do you?" exclaimed Sirius laughing.

Hermione just raised her eyebrows at him and gave him a wink. Her speech had had the intended affect and she was glad.

"Well, all I really want to do right now is go to sleep again," murmured Ginny, as she snuggled into Harry's arms.

"Well, I've got half of dinner ready and the rest I can do later. Why don't we all go and have a nap for a few hours?" suggested Molly.

"Yes, the Ministry have people guarding the property, so we're totally safe from any media coverage, if they even know," said Arthur, getting to his feet. "I think we all deserve a rest. It's been quite a day so far." He smiled at this tight knit group of people; friends and family, and felt very proud.

"Well, we'll pop back to Lupin Lodge," said Remus.

"And Mum, we'll go back to The Notch for a bit, if that's okay with you?" asked Ron.

"Yes, of course dear. A break will do us all good, and of course the rest of the family are arriving for dinner tonight." Molly paused and looked at Ginny being supported in Harry's arms as they stood up. "Are you sure you want to do this all in one day Ginny?"

"Yes Mum, I do. I know it'll take a lot out of me emotionally, but I've got no plans to do anything for the next couple of days except sleep." She looked kindly at her Mum. "I'll be fine."

"We'll meet back here at six o'clock then," replied Hermione.

With hugs, kisses and a few more tears, everyone stood in a circle and with a flick of their wrists, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Sirius and Remus Disapparated to their homes.


	27. Welcome Home Ginny

**Chapter 27**

**Welcome Home Ginny**

After a few hours sleep, showers and fresh clothes, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione found themselves back at the borrow just before 6.00pm.

No one else had arrived yet, and that was perfect in terms of how they wanted everything to go. Ginny was even more relaxed, and although still a little apprehensive about her brothers' reactions, seemed to have found a bit of her old confidence.

The four Apparated into the living room this time. "Mum!" called out Ginny. "We're back." In a flash Molly ran from the kitchen and enveloped Ginny in a back breaking hug. "Mum," gasped Ginny, "air, please." Molly released her immediately.

"Sorry dear, but it's just so good to have you home. It's going to take a little while, I think, to _not_ react every time I hear your voice."

"That's understandable," intervened Hermione, before Ginny could reply. They hadn't said anything to Molly or Arthur about Ginny returning to complete her university course. It was enough for the family to digest that she was back, let alone that she would be leaving again in a few weeks. But Hermione had a plan for that too. She gave Ginny a cautioning look behind Molly's back.

"Sure Mum," added Ginny. "Although I should get used it to, otherwise I won't survive the boys." She was smiling at her mum, although internally her tummy was doing flip flops.

And before she could even think about getting nervous, she heard a commotion coming from the garden and the next thing she knew, four brothers burst through the door, saw Ginny and ran towards her. Molly instinctively stepped out of the way.

"Ginny!" cried Bill.

"Ginny Pinner!" shouted Fred and George in unison.

"Baby girl!" bellowed Charlie.

Before anyone realised what was going on, the boys had rushed towards Ginny, whilst Ginny conveniently Apparated out of the way, not wanting to be flattened by her older siblings.

Harry, Ron and Hermione watched from the doorway; it was the funniest sight. The four of them grasped empty space, and then as surprise registered on their faces, they toppled and all fell together in a heap on the floor. Bill was the first one to get to his feet, looking around for Ginny.

Ginny hadn't gone far, just a few feet away, in front of the fireplace. She looked a little sheepishly at them.

Bill just grinned and grabbed her tightly and swung her around in circles, Ginny squealing in glee, before Bill placed her back on her feet again; but he didn't let go though.

"Oh Ginny," he sighed into her hair and he held her tightly in his arms. Knowing what had happened recently had only slightly lessened his level of fear and panic about his baby sister. "It is so good to have you home safe and sound." He pulled back from a bit. "Are you okay?"

Ginny smiled at him, quirking her eyebrow in response.

Bill just smiled wryly and then let out a short laugh. "Yeah, I know… silly question huh? And the answer is yes and no, right?"

Ginny just nodded.

Bill had always been protective of Ginny; and with all the stuff that had happened at Hogwarts over the years, with him not being there to keep an eye on his siblings - Bill had always felt even more protective of his baby sister. The only thing better than his own protection, he figured, was the protection that Harry had given her over the years.

Bill hugged Ginny close again, looking at Harry over her shoulder. Tears welled in his eyes and mouthed to Harry a silent _'thank you'_ before releasing Ginny again. Harry acknowledged Bill imperceptibly with a nod.

Before she could say anything, Charlie took Bill's place. Then Fred and George stepped in, and finally Percy, who typically had hung back a bit, stepped in to take her in his arms. All the boys were in tears, as was Ginny, who didn't have time to take it all in. She was completely overwhelmed and tears were silently tracking down her cheeks.

Ron, Hermione and Harry stayed back initially, then Ron nudged Harry forward.

"Go on Harry. I know you're hanging back out of respect for my brothers, but I don't think she's going to last much longer."

Harry turned his head to look at Ron over his shoulder, grateful for the permission and then moved forward tentatively, not wanting to break up this family reunion.

Ginny saw Harry and as he edged forward, she held out her hand to him and her brothers instinctively moved out of his path. She went straight into Harry's arms and just clung, sobbing, hiccupping, unable to speak.

"Shhh, Gin, it's okay. Everyone understands." Harry rocked her gently, then picked her up and moved to the couch to sit down with her in his lap. After about five minutes, she lifted her head, sniffling slightly. Harry reverently kissed her temple and she moved out of his arms and slid down beside him on the couch.

It was an incredible display of emotion and everyone was silent as Ginny gathered herself together again.

"I'm so sorry for being so weepy," Ginny started to explain.

"Good lord Gin, there's no need to apologise," began Bill. "I mean look at the five of us! Big grown men blubbering away…"

"Eh! Speak for yourself. I did not blubber," began Fred boisterously.

"Not much!" joked George. "My coat is drenched you girl. Sorry Gin," George immediately apologised.

"Well, I don't think there's any harm in tears quite frankly," a brave Percy chimed in stoically. "I mean, it's been a long time, and we missed her terribly…" Percy stopped all of a sudden, taking her hand in his, whispering "… we really did you know."

"But you're all mad at me leaving, aren't you?" began Ginny nervously, still curled into Harry's side.

"No Gin, we just couldn't understand _why_ you ran. It was the not knowing that hurt the most," explained Bill gently. "Why would we be mad at you?" He looked perplexed, until Ron gave a discreet cough. Everyone looked in his direction, questioning looks on the brother's faces.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I got angry." It was a statement and to his credit, Ron stood his ground, waiting for the criticisms that were about to be flung his way.

"What!" cried Fred. "What the hell for?"

"Fred, language, please," interrupted Molly.

"Precisely for the same reason you just mentioned Bill. We didn't understand, and Mum and Dad were so hurt and worried and confused. And so were all of you. And we didn't know if she was alive or dead. We didn't know if Harry would ever be able to find her; he'd put his whole life on hold…" Ron just ran out of steam and crossed his arms defiantly. "I'm not going to feel guilty for expressing my personal feelings about all this."

"It's alright Ron," Ginny's quiet voice floated across her brothers' heads.

Charlie whipped around to Ginny. "How can you say that Gin?"

"Because he has a right to be angry at me, and so do all of you. I wasn't thinking straight, I acted completely selfishly, without any regard to how my actions would effect anyone else. Besides, Ron and I have already had this out already, so if it's alright with you lot, let's move on shall we?"

There was a surprised silence in the lounge room.

Arthur and Molly had stood silently in the doorway to the kitchen throughout this exchange and not said a word. Arthur had the quiet look of pride that he often felt when his children were together. They were such good, solid people.

Suddenly there was a whoosh from the fireplace and out fell Sirius and a few seconds later Remus. They tumbled out onto the floor and, coughing and spluttering, eventually managing to get to their feet.

Everyone was momentarily silent and then Sirius and Remus righted themselves and looked at everyone.

"Hello!" Sirius shot out chirpily. "How is everyone?" There was silence to his question, and then Remus spoke.

"We figured that right about now you would all need something to laugh at, so that's why we came via the Floo Network."

Ginny began to giggle. She couldn't help it. She tried to keep a straight face, but it just didn't work. The situation was so serious and yet with their entrance so comic, she couldn't help but smile at the intent behind it.

Harry grasped Ginny's hand and grinned widely; Hermione began giggling and soon everyone saw the funny side.

"Well," began Harry, "you always were really bad at travelling via floo."

"I know," groaned Sirius. "And my back is going to pay for it for days to come."

"Well, maybe Anne could help you out with that," suggested Remus blandly.

"And maybe Tonks is available at the next full moon," shot back Sirius without missing a beat.

Everyone whooped at this piece of news.

"Tonks, eh Remus?" Fred and George teased him, their eyebrows waggling with mirth

Remus remained cool and impassive. There was no way he was going to fuel the fire. "You'll keep, Sirius. And there won't be anyone to protect you once we're back home again."

"Remus, Sirius, why don't you help me get drinks organised for everyone," Arthur said, hoping to break up the number of people in the lounge room. He was watching Ginny very carefully, and as much as she had obviously been relieved at Sirius and Remus's entrance, it was clear she was struggling a little with all the bantering going on.

..ooOOoo..

Hours later and tummies full, everyone retired to the garden. It was still light outside, but Molly and Hermione lit some candles and levitated them around the garden, reminiscent of the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

All the partners of the brothers had arrived, and after some more tears and girly giggles, everyone was settled in various places around the garden. The family hadn't really gotten together like this for a while, so it was a good opportunity for Molly and Arthur to bask in the glow of their entire family, even if it was only for a few hours.

..ooOOoo..

_Later that night, back at The Notch…_

Ginny and Harry were in bed, exhausted from the days' events. Harry was still a little concerned about Ginny, but she had insisted she was fine, and if anything felt lighter than she had in years.

The family were going to have a late breakfast in the garden of The Burrow the next day, this time with Anne, Emily and the boys coming as well, but in the meantime there was something that she still needed to discuss with Harry - and she didn't know how he was going to feel about it.

"Harry?" asked Ginny tentatively.

"Yep," Harry muffled into her neck as he lay beside her, his arm draped possessively across her tummy.

"I've been thinking about the rape..." Ginny started to say, when Harry sat bolt upright.

"What's wrong, are you okay?" came Harry's standard response, causing Ginny to smile understandingly.

"Yes, I'm fine, but you know how originally I didn't want anyone to know about it?"

Harry nodded, instinctively realising where this conversation was going, and already worried for her.

"I want to tell my family and friends what happened."

Harry was silent for a moment, considering his words very carefully, when Ginny spoke up again.

"What do you think?"

"What made you change your mind?"

"I think coming home did. I've been carrying around so much guilt - over _everything_ - and I don't think I realised until after this evening how much I've let go of in just one day and the rape is just one more secret that I don't want to keep inside me anymore."

Harry considered Ginny carefully, trying to gauge how serious she was about this.

"Ginny, I want you to do whatever you need to do to cope with everything, everyone and to heal again, in every conceivable way - " started Harry.

"But," Ginny interposed smoothly.

"But, I think you need to consider the reaction you're going to get, and the fallout consequences." Harry paused a moment, considering how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Look, maybe I can explain this better by telling you how I feel about the rape, from a boyfriend's point of view." He waited for Ginny to agree, ran a hand through his hair and continued. "If I could figure out a way to find the guy that did this to you, I'd want to hunt him down and either kill him with my bare hands, or do something else just as bad."

The possessive, yet caring, look on Harry's face made Ginny feel all warm inside. It was like nothing on earth to feel that from the man you loved.

"I think you need to realise that your brother's reactions, not to mention Molly and Arthur's, could quite possibly be even more extreme. And when you say friends and family, who are you talking about? Sirius, Remus, Emily? Who?"

"Yes, definitely them as well. It's like Mum said this afternoon, they're family too."

Harry lay on his back again, contemplating all this for a few minutes, staring up at the ceiling. The good and bad thing about Auror training is that your brain not only assesses and analyses specific situations, the brain automatically begins to work that way no matter what type of situation you're considering, serious or otherwise. He was just thinking about the repercussions of what Ginny wanted to do.

"Tell me what you're thinking Harry," whispered Ginny, beside him.

Harry turned his head to look at this woman whom he loved and adored above anything else in this world. "I just think we need, or rather you need, to really think about the consequences. Not just for you," he added, "but other people's reactions and how you will then react to those. Once you tell them, you can't take it back."

They were both silent for a bit, then Harry spoke again, softly. "Can I propose something?" Ginny nodded in agreement. "I suggest you choose only one or maybe two people, see how they react and then take it from there." He fell silent.

"You don't want me to, though, do you?" queried Ginny softly.

"I did at first, when we were back in Australia; and after telling me initially you were so shut down about it, that I thought the best way to move past it would _be_ to talk about it." He turned on his side, his arm snaking across her body again to pull her closer to him. "But after seeing you today, I'm not sure you're ready to be dealing with another emotional upheaval right now Gin. I think you need to take this slowly."

"And I think the best thing now is just to get it over and done with."

"Gin, you've still got to get through Ron's wedding; your family don't know you're going back to Australia yet, at some point the press are going to find out I've found you - somehow - "

"And I want to go and visit Neville," stated Ginny simply.

That stopped Harry in his tracks. "Why?" He was a little incredulous.

"It's just something I need to do Harry. I killed him and despite the fact that it's Voldemort's doing, I want to pay my respects, to him and to his grandmother before I go back to Melbourne."

"No Gin, that's too much." Harry sat up and ran his hand nervously through his hair again, feeling edgy all of a sudden. "This is too much for you cope with all in one trip." Harry's voice was sounding a little frantic.

"Harry, I know you don't think I'm strong enough to handle this - " started Ginny, before Harry interrupted her quickly.

"No, that's not it!" he said adamantly. "I know how strong you are. The fact that you are here and alive today is a testament to that. I just think you should take all this one step at a time. I don't want you to get so overwhelmed that you shut down emotionally because you can't handle it all in one go." Actually Harry was thinking something quite different and quite selfish. He didn't want her to shut down emotionally because he didn't want to lose her. He was trying to be understanding, but part of him _really _wanted to take their relationship to the next level and he cursed himself inwardly for his thoughts. He banished them quickly before continuing. "I don't to lose you over this Ginny?"

"You won't. You've got me for life Harry. I promise." She paused for a moment, searching his eyes for agreement. "I feel like a cuppa," Ginny piped up, smiling. "Do you want one?"

"Yes, but I think I need something stronger," remarked Harry a little wryly.

..ooOOoo..

Half an hour later Ginny and Harry were still in the kitchen talking.

At the same time, Ron had also been tossing and turning, and had finally decided to get up and rummage through the fridge, despite the big dinner he'd had that evening. He was just about at the kitchen when he heard their voices.

"I mean how do you even begin to tell someone about a rape?" theorised Harry, his voice quiet, but clear in the silence of the night.

"I don't know, but I told you didn't I? replied Ginny's voice.

"Yes, but not because you volunteered it. I mean, you didn't stop crying for over an hour. You were a little hysterical," Harry gently reminded her. "And my actions triggered something in your memory. This will be totally different. You'll consciously be telling someone - "

"Telling them what?" asked a voice behind them.

Both Ginny and Harry jumped out of their skin and whirled to face Ron.

His expression was a mixture of confusion, worry, and suspicion about what he'd just heard. "What the hell are you two talking about?" asked a confused Ron.

"Ron, what are you doing up?" asked Harry instantly on his guard.

"The same as you, getting myself a drink. Nice avoidance of the question though," noted Ron drily. "What's going on? He looked from Harry then turned his gaze to his sister. Ginny?"

Ginny considered Ron carefully. It seemed as though the time to tell someone was now. And she trusted Ron and Hermione with her life.

"Take a seat Ron, there's something I need to talk to you about," replied Ginny determinedly.

Ron cautiously summoned a chair and sat down.

..ooOOoo..

Ron sat stunned. Of all the things he thought she might say, this wasn't it, even though he'd overheard the last part of their conversation.

He couldn't believe it.

Harry and Ginny sat there calmly, waiting for his reaction. He hadn't said a word so far, which was kind of unsettling; very un-Ron like.

"Ron?" asked Harry tentatively. He could understand Ron's silence. He'd been too busy coping with Ginny falling apart to actually examine his own reactions, the morning after the evening at the Blue Angel. Right now, Harry was thinking he'd had it easy compared to Ron.

Ron shut his eyes tightly on the tears that were threatening to spill over his cheeks. He'd held tightly on to his emotions since the moment Ginny had told him. He looked up at Ginny, his mind searching for the right thing to say… only realising that there wasn't a right thing to say. Not yet anyway. "I'm going to go to bed," he finally replied dully. "I'll see you both in the morning. Sorry Ginny, I just can't…" Ron shook his head numbly, at no one in particular.

With that Ron rose from the chair, levitated it back to its original position in the lounge room and walked slowly back to his room.

Harry rose to go after him, catching him just before he reached his and Hermione's room.

"Ron!" whispered Harry urgently, lighting his wand to see by.

Ron swung around, his eyes bright with tears, glistening in the light of Harry's wand.

"Please Ron. This isn't how we wanted you to find out. We had just made the decision to tell you, but we probably would have waited until after the wedding to be honest. Please don't react just yet. And please… please don't tell anyone except Hermione. Ginny told you because she trusts you not to say a word to **anyone!** Not a soul, apart from Hermione, until she says otherwise," spoke Harry quickly, urgently, hoping that Ron listened and wouldn't fly off the handle and owl all her brothers before morning.

"Okay Harry," replied Ron. "I can't believe… I mean, how long have you known? Since you found her?"

"Yes, and I know what you're feeling right now believe me, but please just reign it in. We'll talk another time, but for now, just tell Hermione and we'll see you both in the morning. Please. Just sleep on it. And don't let Hermione get all hysterical about this."

Harry was quiet for a moment, hands on his hips, feeling pensive. He knew Ron was feeling angry, protective, disgusted, angry, violent even, about what he'd just heard. He looked at Ron for another moment and then, quite uncharacteristically, pulled Ron into a tight hug. "She's okay Ron, really, she is. This is just going to take a little time. Believe me when I say it hasn't been easy for us as a couple since I found her." Harry just let that sit in the air, then let Ron go and turned to go back to the kitchen.

"Harry?" whispered Ron into the night.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad that Ginny loves you. I couldn't have chosen anyone better."

The two friends looked at each other, years of friendship and knowledge floating between them.

Harry smiled into the dimness and then turned back to the kitchen and Ron opened the bedroom door.

..ooOOoo..

"Is he alright?" asked Ginny on Harry's return to the kitchen.

"Well, I think he will be, but it's quite a shock to hear it the first time around Ginny. Let's just give him until the morning. I told him he could tell Hermione, which I think would be good. One brother and your best friend. It's a good choice given the choices we have."

"Oh God, Harry," whispered Ginny urgently. "What have I done? It's their wedding in a few days, and now they've got my crap to worry about, which I know they will. How could I be so selfish?" Ginny rested her head in her hands, her elbows supporting the weight on the bench top.

"Ginny, it couldn't be helped. You're going to turn into me if you're not careful." Ginny raised her head, looking at him blankly. "You know, everyone thinks I've got this nobility complex." Harry smiled gently at Ginny. "It's done and you can't change it. They'll be fine, I promise. But for now, let's just go to sleep."

Ron stumbled numbly back into his and Hermione's bedroom. He was in shock and wanted to tell Hermione as quickly as possible, before he lost the nerve.

"Hermione?" Ron shook her shoulders gently. "Wake up."

"Ron?" Hermione asked, sleep thick in her voice. "What's the matter?" she mumbled rolling over and resting her hand on his lower back. Silence. Sitting up slowly Hermione crawled across the bed and sat next to Ron.

"I… I… I don't know where to start," Ron mumbled, disbelief lacing his voice.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked sleepily, still not quite awake. She sat up, reaching for her wand and lighting a few candles in the room. "Ron?" Ron was sitting staring out into space. He slowly turned to face her.

Hermione gasped at the look on Ron's face. She couldn't quite pin down what had happened to make him look so… devastated. It was the only description that matched the look on his face. He looked devastated and incredibly sad. She couldn't explain why, but tears instantly pooled in her own eyes. Before she could say another word, she sensed another underlying emotion - anger. Her eyes travelled over him; taking in the tension in his body, his hands clasped tightly together, the veins in his arms standing out.

"What's happened?" she asked in a shaky voice.

Ron took a steadying breath. "There was more Hermione. On top of everything she's been through, there was more!" Ron said, the tears finally spilling down his face.

"Wha… what do you mean?" Hermione asked. She knew that if Ron was this upset, something bad must have happened, and it scared her. She had only seen him this upset a handful of times, and each one had prefaced something truly horrible.

"He _raped_ her," Ron's voice quivered in suppressed anger and grief.

"Who, Ron?" Hermione asked tears flowing freely down her face. She already knew that Ron was talking about Ginny.

"Some guy in New York pulled her off the street and… Hermione she was RAPED!" Ron snapped, his anger bubbling over the top.

Hermione got up from the bed to leave the room, but Ron's arm shot out, stopping her. "Where are you going?"

Hermione turned back to him, tears coursing down her cheeks. "I have to go to her Ron. I have to…" Hermione couldn't continue. It was too much to think about. Ginny had been through more than one person should have to go through in ten lifetimes, but the thought of this was simply overwhelming Hermione in a way that she couldn't quite get a grip on. She was normally so controlled with her emotions when it came to her friends being in danger, she'd gotten used to that being Harry's friend throughout their years at Hogwarts, but this was something else entirely.

"Hermione, it happened months and months ago. You can't help right now, and Harry says she's fine." He paused, pulling Hermione back to sit by him on the bed. "That's not all Hermione," he said, standing up and pacing the room, "the bastard got her pregnant."

This news caused fresh tears from Hermione, but Ron continued on. He was no longer relaying information to Hermione. He was fuming, venting; talking automatically.

"Nineteen years old, raped and having an abortion! Alone in a strange city with no friends or family nearby. What a lovely thing to have to live with," Ron finally finished, still pacing the room. With each step his anger built and built, to the point where he would have to let it out soon.

Hermione watched Ron, tears pouring down her face. She knew she had to get Ron under control very quickly, or he would do damage to either himself or something else. She had known him eleven years and the look that was on his face now was one that she hated to see.

"Ro… Ron…" she hiccupped, her breath coming out in stabs. "Ron, please," she called, wanting to calm him down, not just to keep a lid on his emotions, but because she needed him right now too.

Ron stopped suddenly in his tracks and looked around the room. For a second there he had lost all sense of reality, only concerned with what he was feeling; he couldn't even remember getting to his feet. He looked around the room, his eyes coming to focus on Hermione.

Hermione. Despite the fact that she looked a mess right at moment - her nightie tangled, hair was askew, her eyes were red and puffy - she was beautiful. His Hermione. And her voice permeated his foggy brain.

Putting his sister's past aside for the moment, he moved quickly to Hermione and pulled her into a bone crushing hug and softly muttered comforting words into her hair.

"Ron," Hermione said gently a few minutes later, "air. Please?" As Ron let her go suddenly, Hermione felt blood flow back into the limbs that had been trapped by Ron's embrace. "I know that we're not likely to get much sleep now, but let's just leave this for tonight, Ron, please? Hermione said rationally, the tears and hysterics she'd been feeling now having passed.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Ron and Hermione jumped out of their skins.

The door opened and Ginny stood in the doorway, Harry behind her.

Wordlessly, Ron moved to hug her tightly. Hermione stood up and tears falling down her cheeks again, she moved closer until Ginny let go of Ron and took Hermione into her embrace.

The girls stood clinging tightly to each other. Harry and Ron trying not to be emotional in front of them. It was hard.

"I just wanted to say goodnight. I figured if you actually saw me, you'd believe that I was really alright," whispered Ginny to Hermione as she hugged her friend fiercely, through her tears.

"I don't know what to say," cried Hermione, gulping and trying to breathe properly.

"You don't have to say anything. I know you're worried. I know you love me. I know I can come to you to talk about anything. What else is there to say?" This, of course, only made Hermione cry harder.

Harry touched Hermione on the shoulder to get her attention. He knew that if he didn't break them up, that it might get out of hand, emotionally, and he felt Ginny had been through enough for one day and he hated seeing Hermione so… uncontrolled. It was really unsettling.

"I'm sorry you found out this way. If Ron hadn't found out tonight, I probably would have waited until after you'd got back from your honeymoon," began Ginny worriedly.

With Harry's gentle urging, the girls sat down on the bed, the boys summoned a couple of chairs and the four of them sat up talking for the rest of the night, the bond of friendship having just been pulled a little bit tighter.

Ron nodded surreptitiously to Harry.

Ginny was safe now. That's all that mattered.

Tomorrow was another day.


	28. Weddings, Parties, Anything

**Chapter 28**

**Weddings, Parties, Anything**

**ooOOoo **

_A/N: I'd like to thank the authors of After The End, for giving their permission to use the idea and general structure for the return to Hermione's house. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts. Chill68._

ooOOoo

As Hermione adjusted her veil, she reflected on the last couple of days, which had been busy _and_ emotional.

After sitting up all night with Harry, Ginny and Ron, the four of them had arrived at The Burrow the next day for brunch feeling tired and worn out, but with content smiles on their faces. They were all determined, despite the events that had transpired the night before, to move on and enjoy the next couple of days.

Brunch had been an _enormous_ affair; what with the entire Weasley clan in attendance, Remus and Tonks; and then on top of all that Sirius introduced Anne, Emily and the boys to everyone. And then there was a final surprise guest, that only Arthur knew about.

Professor Dumbledore.

Arthur had sent word through secret Order of the Phoenix channels, to ensure complete privacy, to invite Dumbledore to the gathering.

Hermione closed her eyes, visualising Dumbledore arriving, the look on the boys' faces as their eyes fell upon him for the first time, the incredible gentleness that he showed toward Ginny as he held her tiny hands in his own and kissed her forehead, the humourous way he dealt with the muggle visitors, and his genuine caring towards everyone. He had sat with Ginny for quite a while in the afternoon talking in the garden. He also spent time with Harry.

It was wonderful to see the man that Harry had grown into. More so than with Ron, it had been wonderful to watch Harry become at ease with who he was in the wizarding world, coming to terms with what he'd been through and with this last hurdle to overcome, she silently prayed that they would all have peace and undisturbed happiness for some time to come.

As she opened her eyes, the door opened and Ginny came in smiling, looking lovely in her bridesmaids dress.

"How are you going?" asked Ginny happily, "Mum is off her head at the moment. I just popped over to The Burrow to see how things were going and it's not a pretty sight." Ginny crossed her arms looking bemused.

She was, of course, referring to the Hens/Bucks night that they'd all enjoyed the night before, although some had enjoyed it more than others!

ooOOoo

The night before the Wedding…

"_I'm not sure if we're up to this," growled Sirius, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back into the couch in the living room of The Burrow._

_Emily had just left for The Notch, leaving the adults waiting for the boys to arrive._

"_Of course we are, don't be silly," said Anne smiling good naturedly at him from across the room._

"_I mean if we can defeat Voldemort and Adam, then I really think we can manage this assignment," said Remus, discreetly sneaking a look at Tonks before quickly turning his attention back to Sirius, before he noticed. He'd had enough ribbing about Tonks and didn't want the attention on him; not on a night such as this one. He and Tonks had spent a lot of time together since his return from Australia; Tonks bringing Remus up to date with what was happening with the Order and the Ministry, setting up tighter security around The Burrow and The Notch and ensuring that **no one** knew that Ginny had returned home with The Boy Who Lived._

_He enjoyed her company a great deal, but given his lycanthropy, it just wasn't a situation that was ever going to work out, so he hadn't entertained the idea, or given Tonks even a hint of his true feelings; which he was currently struggling with. She was the brightest spark he had ever known. The only other close female friend he'd had was Lily, and though she shared the same personal qualities, such as being caring, sense of loyalty and duty, there the similarities between the two women ended. Lily had been quiet compared to Tonks, who was bright in every sense of the word and vivacious, incredibly funny, and never failed to make Remus smile as much as he tried not to give in to it. And she was possibly the only woman, aside from Lily, who was completely at ease with the wolf._

_He shook his head slightly and brought his mind back to focus on the present._

"_I think it'll be brilliant fun," said Tonks, changing her hair colour to express her excitement at what was in store for them._

"_And it's not like we can't join in," explained Anne serenely, "we just have to be the ones to pull it all together when they fall to pieces and then get them all back safely."_

_Sirius looked at Remus dead-on._

_Remus knew what he was thinking. The last time they'd done this was before James's wedding to Lily. They both silently reminisced, their faces a multitude of expressions, before Tonks broke the silence._

"_I mean, can you imagine all of them at the end of night, having to put up with my hair turning fluorescent colours?" asked Tonks brightly. "I can't wait for that! It'll be just brilliant!"_

"_What'll be just brilliant?" asked Fred, who had just burst through the front door of The Burrow with the rest of his brothers in tow._

"_Never you mind," replied Tonks cryptically, grinning from ear to ear._

"_Don't think you're going to try and control us tonight Tonks," replied George rubbing his hands together gleefully. "We've been waiting for this for three years. Can't wait to get my little brother smashed the night before his wedding."_

_Harry and Ron Apparated into the lounge room just in time to hear the last comment._

"_Not bloody likely!" exclaimed Ron, looking slightly horrified. "Hermione'll kill me!"_

_That made everyone crack up laughing. _

"_Ron, Ron," chastised Bill, "this is a rite of passage and you should enjoy it. And even though the muggles don't have hangover cures, we've got a tonne of them!"_

"_You know Bill, you're absolutely right," mused Ron, suddenly looking at the evening in a whole new light. "So, can we get going then? Everyone else is meeting us down at the Snout's Fair."_

"_Who else is coming?" asked Sirius, feeling a little bit alarmed. "I thought it was just you and the boys from Australia?"_

"_Oh no, we've had this planned for years Sirius," explained Harry, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, leaning against the open front door, "we've got a bunch of guys from Gryffindor and a few guys from the other houses coming along as well. You've got your hands full tonight."_

_Sirius just rolled his eyes and took a deep breath._

"_Let's just keep our fingers crossed that the new security wards work tonight, otherwise the press will be in heaven if they get a picture of this lot partying tonight," whispered Tonks conspiratorially in Remus's ear, placing her hand gently on his shoulder to get his attention._

_Remus, though he showed no outward sign, was a little startled to find Tonks physically so close to him. He slowly turned his head to be confronted with a clear and steady gaze emanating from her pale, heart shaped face, replying "let's keep our fingers crossed, eh?" And moving towards the back door Remus spoke to the group._

"_So let's get going shall we?"_

ooOOoo

"You should see them Hermione, it's hysterical," Ginny gasped suddenly caught in a fit of giggles. "They're stumbling about like babies who haven't learned to walk yet!"

Once upon a time this would have alarmed Hermione, but Molly had already had a quiet word with Hermione about how she would handle the boys if they came home too inebriated.

"_Hermione, I've no doubt that they'll come home shockingly drunk, especially given what you've all been through in the last couple of months, and I fully intend to give them all the hangover cures they need to be 100 for this wedding," _ Molly had explained the day before, _"but I intend to make them suffer just a little bit first."_

Molly had actually grinned at this, from ear to ear, looking quite delighted to be the one who would be in control for a change. _"Honestly dear, I haven't been able to keep the boys in line since they all left home, so having them back under my roof for the night, and me in charge again - even if it's only for the morning - will just be heaven." _It was the happiest she'd seen Molly in three years… and it had been wonderful to see.

"I've haven't seen Harry this drunk since that night we all went to the Snout's Fair and the three of you got plastered, and I needed Sirius and Remus's help to get you all home. It's quite a thing to see though, I must say. Harry without any inhibitions." Ginny looked positively gleeful. "I just wish I could take real advantage of his condition."

Hermione's eyes widened at this, but chose not to comment. "I would just love to go over there, but tradition is tradition," said Hermione quietly.

"You know Hermione, I've never seen you this calm before. You look positively serene, and stunning I might add. Ron's not going to know what's hit him," stated Ginny happily.

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. She had on quite possibly the simplest gown design ever. Hermione had never been one for lots of frills and stuff. She liked to keep things simple.

Made in beautiful ivory satin, to suit her colouring, Hermione's dress was a shoestring strap design, heart shaped décolletage, with delicate beading and lace trim around the neckline. The bodice tapered down past her slim waistline to her hips and was delicately embossed with flowers in the same ivory colour, and then fell loose to the floor. There was a simple train, again with the same beading, lace trim and embossing around the hoop.

Ginny was dressed in a similarly styled gown, except that Ginny's was deep magenta, in honour of Gryffindor, and instead of falling loose to the floor, it fitted her slender curves perfectly, and stopped just above the knees. With sheer stockings and matching magenta coloured high heels, she looked a vision also, even if she didn't realise it.

Both girls had a posy of flowers each, a mixture of flowers in gold, white and magenta with whispy sprigs of leafy green throughout.

Hermione rose from her chair in front of the mirror in her room. "Are Anne and Emily coming over?"

"No, they decided not to in the end. They wanted to be on hand at Hogwarts in case of any last minute emergencies," explained Ginny. "They are just thrilled to be invited, so excited to be back in England and they wanted to wait and see you when everyone else does. I think the girls are about to burst actually."

"I can't wait to see everyone," said Hermione, the glimmer of excitement beginning in her eyes, "it's been ages since I've seen anyone from Hogwarts and I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they see you."

ooOOoo_  
_

_The same time at Hogwarts…_

Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil and Susan Bones were wandering through the hallways of Hogwarts. It had only been a few years, but it felt like a lifetime.

As they wondered through the hallways, each of the girls realised how much they'd grown up since they'd graduated.

As they came down the staircase to the main entrance, Professor McGonagall walked towards them, dressed, most uncharacteristically, in a deep forest green muggle outfit that looked very much like a 'mother of the bride' type of suit.

And she looked lovely - quite regal.

They met at the entrance and stood chatting for a few minutes, the girls updating their old Professor on their lives and careers, and Minerva telling the girls who the new teachers at Hogwarts were for the new school year.

As they looked out over the grounds, they could see the Quidditch pitch and the beginnings of the decorations that indicated that something special was happening today. With smiles all round they descended the front steps and made their way to where the other guests were gathering.

ooOOoo_  
_

_Back at The Notch…_

Ginny had finished fussing over Hermione, who was still as calm as the Hogwarts lake on a hot summer's day with no breeze, and collected a few things she need for the day, and then turned to Hermione expectantly.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am," replied Hermione. She took a deep breath and then suddenly caught Ginny's hands in her own. "I never thought today would come Ginny. And I'm so _incredibly_ gratefully that you're here to share it with us."

As her eyes pooled with tears, Ginny squeezed her hands in return, suddenly too emotional to speak. Then Ginny shook their hands up and down. "Now," she said, taking a big gulp of fresh air, "now we can't do this all day, or we'll never get through it. What on earth would Ron and Harry do with us?"

Hermione smiled. "Well I guess it's off to Hogwarts then?" she asked brightly.

"Actually, no," came Ginny's cryptic reply.

"What do you mean?" Hermione suddenly was hit with an attack of nerves _and _fear. _'What had gone wrong?' _ she thought to herself.

"Now, don't worry Hermione. Everything's fine, this is just a special little side trip. And we're going by portkey, so the location is a surprise to you."

Ginny held out the portkey, a feather, to Hermione.

Hermione took a deep breath, wondering what on earth was going on and wondering what Ron was up to? "Is this going to…"

"Hermione," interrupted Ginny, and then with a dramatic, expectant pause, "have a little faith." Ginny smiled. Hermione touched the feather with her fingertips and a second later they were gone.

ooOOoo

Ron couldn't wait to see Hermione. For the first time in their life so far, he was about to surprise her for the first time ever; well the second really. She hadn't seen his proposal coming. He smiled, feeling stronger and more sure of himself as each second passed.

A moment later, both Ginny and Hermione popped into view. But Ron only had eyes for Hermione. She looked beautiful, like an angel.

ooOOoo

The first thing Hermione saw when she arrived at the secret location was Ron, looking at her intently, making her feel warm and protected, like he always did.

The second thing she noticed was where she was.

She was standing in the driveway of her old house.

She hadn't been here since her parents died at the beginning of her fifth year. Her parents had been quite successful, as dentists, and had owned their own home and everything had automatically passed to Hermione on their deaths.

But Hermione hadn't been here for five years. Hadn't wanted to come back. Just couldn't face the ugly burn and scorch marks that the Death Eaters had left. She closed her eyes tightly, suddenly flooded with her last memories of the home she'd lived in with her parents.

Ron stepped towards her, gently clasped her hands, causing her eyes to open. He looked into her eyes steadily and simply said "trust me."

Hermione nodded her head imperceptibly, nervously chewing on her bottom lip. If it was anyone else but Ron, she wouldn't have believed it. But something inside told her it was alright - and she trusted Ron with her life.

No one else had said a word. Dumbledore was there, with Harry, Molly and Arthur, and Ginny was still standing just a bit to one side behind Hermione. Hermione glanced back at Ginny, who just smiled a secret smile and nodded to her and then Hermione turned to face Ron again.

As she glanced around the garden, Hermione noticed how many flowers were in bloom. She couldn't remember it looking this lovely before. Her gaze drifted across the lush, green lawn to the willow tree that gave the front garden a lovely shaded area that she and her parents used to sit under on really hot days. She could see the little table and chairs tucked in close to the trunk. _'I don't remember there being four chairs before,' _she thought to herself. She realised how many years had passed since she'd last been here, and immediately tried to block her memories of that night.

She didn't even remember all the trees that lined the yard, and wondered if her memory was playing tricks on her. All in all, the house was more beautiful now than it had ever been. She could picture her father working on the house, listing the things that needed to be done in the next holidays. The house - at least from the outside - looked pristine. It was perfect eggshell blue, and the white shutters gleamed.

Hermione noticed all this as Ron lead her up the driveway to the front portico. "Ron…" Hermione stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the front door and shook her head. "Please. I'm not sure I'm up to this."

He looked down at her, and all the comfort in the world was in his blue eyes. "I wouldn't put you through that, Hermione." He drew her close to him and reverently kissed her forehead.

Hermione visibly relaxed a little and squeezed his hand. Her parents had loved this house - her father had meticulously done the interior woodwork himself; her mother had taken such beautiful care with the gardens, the carpets and everything else. Hermione had loved this house too; she'd grown up here. Here she had discovered her love of learning, of reading. Here she had learnt that she was a witch. Here she had been loved, taught, encouraged and nurtured.

But the bad memories kept impinging on her mind. Like an unrelenting Dementor.

Ron reached his hand out. "Come on," he said. "I promise it's all right."

She put her faith in Ron, and her hand in his, and let him lead her into her childhood home, steeling herself for ugly burns and rotten stench and the horrible, lingering shadows of Death Eaters.

But it smelled… clean. The last time she'd been here all she could remember was the scorch marks, the wreckage the Death Eaters had left behind, and the smell of burnt wood. It had smelled evil. But that was gone, and the house was silent and cool - almost sweet - as they walked through it. There wasn't even any dust. The curtains had been drawn and the sunlight was streaming through the floor to ceiling windows, touching everything with light and sparkle. Even her mother's china cabinet sparkled as if it had just been cleaned.

_The china cabinet that had been smashed through._

Hermione stopped walking and stared at it. She had a sudden, dim suspicion. "Ron…"

"Shhh." He pulled her toward the library and Hermione resisted a little, but followed behind him. She braced herself to see the worst of it. This is where most of the devastation had happened. The Death Eaters had completely destroyed this room, and she could still remember her mother's fingernail marks in her favourite chair… She peered in, her heart throbbing painfully. It was the room that returned to her in her nightmares.

_It had been rebuilt. _

Hermione stared for a moment at the bright, peaceful tidiness of the room where she had first become a reader. This… this was what it was _supposed _to look like. She walked in without Ron, her hands over her mouth. There was not one scar, not one trace, of what had happened here. Her father's shelves were straight and polished. The wood of her mother's chair was smooth and unmarred. The books were in lovely rows, the carpet was no longer scorched, the whole place was like new.

"Oh… oh, Ron…"

"Go and see your room."

Her heart beating like a bird's, Hermione raced out of the wonderful library where she had learned to think, and hurtled up the steps, as fast as her pretty high heels would let her, to the little room where she had learned to dream.

She burst in through the door as if it was Christmas morning. She looked around in awe. Everything was in its place, just as she had left it when she had gone away to Hogwarts for her fifth year, before everything had gone so horribly, desperately wrong. It was normal. It was hers. It was serene and uninvaded.

"My letter," she managed in a tiny, shaky voice, walking towards her desk. Her Hogwarts letter. The one that had told her she had been made a Prefect. They had burnt _Mudblood_ across it.

_It had been restored._

Hermione walked around in a daze, her fingertips glancing over her book shelves, her comfy chair that was by the window where she used to spend hours and hours reading. She gazed out the window, barely believing that she was lucky enough to deserve all the goodness that was contained in this house now.

She turned to find Ron watching her from the doorway, tears standing in his eyes.

"You did this," she managed haltingly, her voice wavering with emotion.

He nodded faintly.

"You… Ron. You paid for this."

He glanced down. Nodded again.

"The trees outside and the china and the shelves and - my mother's - my letter - Ron - " Hermione was speechless; actions spoke louder than words, and Hermione was overwhelmed by what Ron had done. She turned to look at him, standing self consciously in the doorway, hands in the pockets of his pants, looking resplendent and incredibly handsome in his black wedding suit. Her arms lifted from her sides and an instant later Ron had crossed the room, his arms around her, tight, protective, loving, cherishing.

He whispered quietly. "Is it okay? Did I do the right thing?" he finally said, his voice scratchy.

"Oh my goodness, of course it is! But… but when did you start?" she whispered, holding him tight. "How long ago?"

"With my first payslip. And when I finished… well I've just kept visiting and maintaining it ever since."

Hermione's throat clenched. She pulled back and stared up at him. "But you had no way of knowing if I'd ever want to come back here. I've never wanted to talk about it, and what with Ginny disappearing, Harry being gone for so long…"

His eyes were still swimming. He led her to her bed and they sat down side by side, thighs touching from hip to toe. He pushed his fingers through hers possessively. "This is your home Hermione. I know you've never thought of The Burrow and The Notch as your real homes, and I just thought there was a good chance that if it was restored to the way you remembered it, that you might want to live here again one day," said Ron simply. "And I didn't want you to remember it the way it was the last time you saw it."

Hermione swung her legs over his, wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. Ron carefully hugged her, not wanting to mess up her hair, which had been swept into a bun with pretty tendrils falling loose in places. But they were in her room, where she had never, _ever_ expected to feel at home again - but _he _had made it safe and whole and clean. Like only he could.

"Thank you," she mumbled. It wasn't enough, but for once she was speechless; she couldn't possibly repay him for his generosity. She couldn't begin to say the things he deserved to hear, but he knew her so well, that she imagined he knew it all anyway.

He rocked her just as he always had when she had needed comfort… and this time it was for happiness. And that was a nice change.

"I still don't know if I want to live here at the moment though," murmured Hermione softly.

Ron was quiet, and then he nodded. "Well, I thought you might find it easier to make that decision if it looked like it used to. And this way, you might even sell it if you felt like it. It's entirely up to you. Also, I had my dad put this house on the Floo network." He shrugged disarmingly and smiled.

Hermione stared at him. He was… he'd thought of everything. She smoothed his hair away from his face, and dragged her fingertips down his cheeks. "You're a wonderful man," she said softly, and her insides thrilled to see him blush with shyness. "Do you have any idea how much I love you, Ron Weasley?"

"Hopefully quite a bit, otherwise today will be a waste of time won't it?" quipped Ron, grinning down at her cheekily.

Hermione released him suddenly, hand clasped over her mouth. "Oh my goodness, I forgot! And now we're running late."

Ron laughed out loud. "That's nice, that is!" Ron tutted, smiling at this incredible woman. "But as usual, I've taken care of everything. Don't worry Miss Granger, unbeknownst to you, I changed the time on the invitations so that we have one hour up our sleeves." He paused for a moment, wondering how she'd feel about what else he had planned. "And I did that, because there's something else I wanted to do whilst we're here, and I know it will probably sound really corny, but just hear me out first."

Hermione was silent. She couldn't possibly think of what else there was to do, except to get to Hogwarts.

"I wondered if you would like to get married here first, just us - privately," began Ron, "and that way, it will sort of be as if your parents are here to watch you get married in their home." He paused for a moment, searching her face for clues as to whether she thought he was a nutter or not. "It's okay if you don't. I mean, I know that they'll be with you no matter where you get married, but I just thought you might appreciate it. And I've invited Colin Creevey here to take some photos as well. But only if you're up for it. I can't even begin to imagine how this feels for you. But we can go to Hogwarts right now if you like. I've asked the twins to keep everyone entertained until we arrive."

Hermione just sat there in his lap, stunned. And then the rational part of her brain suddenly kicked into gear. "So how did you decide who should and shouldn't be here for _this_ ceremony?"

"Well, aside from Ginny and Harry, who are our witnesses, I figured my parents could be the link from your parents in the past to your in-laws in the future. Kinda like them asking permission to take care of you as their own daughter."

It was all too much for Hermione; the tears began to flow and she clung to Ron desperately, whispering thank you after thank you to him.

A few minutes later she lifted her head to gaze into the blue eyes of her future husband. He shifted her gently off his lap, stood up and then with a few carefully aimed touches of wandless magic, he tidied up their appearances and pulled her to her feet.

"Are you ready Miss Granger, to become my wife?"

Hermione cocked her head and smiled coyly at him. "Well, I guess you do deserve something for all this effort," she began, before pulling him closer and very soundly kissing him senseless!

ooOOoo

A few minutes later Ron and Hermione emerged out of the front door and strolled hand in hand towards the small group standing together in the warm, summer sun. By this time Colin had arrived and, having got over the shock of seeing Ginny and being sworn to secrecy, he moved back out of the way and discreetly began taking photos from all directions.

As Ron and Hermione approached, Professor Dumbledore moved towards them. "Are you ready Miss Granger, Mr Weasley?"

"Yes, sir," they both replied, smiling excitedly, Ron quickly shaking hands with Colin and Hermione giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Then if everyone would take their places, we'll get started," smiled Dumbledore benevolently.

And beneath the shade of the huge willow tree, Ron and Hermione were married; in the garden where she grew up, the garden that she had shared many happy moments with her parents. And with Harry and Ginny as their witnesses, and Molly and Arthur as parents to both of them, Hermione could feel her parents' presence and, despite the bitter sweet feelings the flowed through her, they were accompanied by feelings of love, warmth and appreciation for Molly and Arthur, and indeed all the adults she had in her life right now.

And as Dumbledore gave his final blessing, and Ron kissed Hermione gently on the lips, Harry pulled out his wand and conjured a flock of doves which flew into the air, circled the small group and flew up into the glorious, blue sky.

As everyone's heads turned to follow the doves in-flight, Ron lowered his eyes and looked at Hermione. "Are you ready for the real thing now?"

"Yes, kind sir, I most certainly am."

And with a flick of their wands, everyone Apparated to Hogwarts, just outside the main gates.

As soon as they appeared outside the Hogwarts gates, they heard a shout and the small group turned as one, to see the twins, and all their friends, running up the drive to greet them.

Within a minute they were surrounded with gleeful cries, happy, smiling faces and excited chatter. Hermione felt ecstatic. She had never felt this happy before and to share all of this with her friends was the most precious thing in the world. She hoped she remembered to mention it tonight in her speech. _'Ha!'_ she thought to herself, _'that's something you _don't_ know about darling Ron.'_

And because no one knew that Ginny had been found, it became even more ecstatic, as the smiles and laughter became tears of joy that a long lost friend had been found. Ginny had the life hugged out of her by her Gryffindor friends, Luna, Eloise, Dean and even Hermione's friends were thrilled to see her again. It was a reunion like no other!

With some hustling and bustling from Molly, Arthur and Dumbledore, the ushered all the young ones up the drive to where the ceremony would be held.


	29. The Reception

**Chapter 29  
The Reception **

Ginny was sitting by herself, in Gryffindor's Quidditch dressing rooms underneath the stadium. She just wanted to catch her breath before surprising everyone with the fact that she was a professional singer. She was partially terrified and excited to see the looks on their faces when they realised it was I her /I singing, and not Emily, as they had pretended to everyone.

She closed her eyes for a moment and images of the past 24 hours swam before her eyes.

Emily had turned up at The Notch just after Harry and Ron had left for Ron's Buck's night.

_"Anne and Tonks will probably pop by later on just to say hello, but they want to be on hand for the boys tonight," explained Emily, "I think it's going to be a big one for them. I'm not sure that Sirius is quite ready for it to be honest."_

_"Well they're welcome to it, I say," said Ginny cheekily. "I think it will be nice to have a really girly evening, with just the female Weasley relations that you've met. No one else knows I'm back yet; we're saving that for tomorrow."_

_Ginny and Emily did their happy dance and were still bopping up and down on the spot, clapping their hands together excitedly when Hermione came into the living room from the hallway._

_"What on earth are you two doing?" Hermione exclaimed, laughing._

_"Oh, haven't you seen this before?" asked Emily. "This is what we call our 'happy dance'. We just do it whenever we're really, really excited about something, and we were just getting excited about tonight and I can't wait to see the look on everyone's face when they see Ginny tomorrow!"_

_"Yeah, I hadn't actually thought about that Hermione," interposed Ginny seriously. "I hope I don't cause too much of a commotion. I don't want to take anything away from you and Ron."_

_"Don't you worry about that. Tomorrow is going to be a special day for all of us. Ron and I are getting married, everyone will be so glad to see you again Ginny, and it's also the first day of school for Hogwarts students. It will be perfect!" exclaimed Hermione excitedly._

_Their excited chatter was interrupted by a knock on the front door. Ginny raced over and flung the door open to see all the female Weasley relations on the doorstep. They were giggling away and were loaded up with champagne, chocolates and strawberries._

_"With zee compliments of my parents," said Fleur sounding triumphant. "I am not sure where this tradition started, but zere is nuzing better than French champagne with strawberries, dipped in chocolate, dipped in champagne."_

_"And," added Cho, giggling uncontrollably, "I popped into the Snout's Fair this afternoon and managed to buy a bottle of Liquid Curse off Goldie, on Charlie's recommendation, so it should be an interesting night!"_

_"Oh, no way!" cried Hermione, partly horrified and partly laughing, "do you know how lethal that stuff is?"_

_The Weasley girls shook their heads, and as Fleur opened the first bottle of champagne, Hermione, and embellished by Ginny, told the girls the story of what happened three years ago in the pub._

OOooOO

_A few hours later, a few glasses of champagne each, a few shots of Goldie's Liquid Curse and the girls were in a fine mood, collectively._

_Suddenly, Katie stopped all the chatter with a shout._

_"I know!"_

_"Know what?" asked Angelina, looking quite happy at whatever Katie knew._

_"Let's go down to the Snout's Fair and spy on the boys. I know that's where they are! Goldie told me this afternoon when I bought the Liquid Curse!" Katie looked triumphant, like she'd just caught the Golden Snitch._

_One by one the girls all looked at each other, eyes wide open and in a fit of giggles all got up and grabbed their wands._

_"No," said Hermione suddenly, not quite steady on her feet, both arms up in the air, her hands indicating to stop. "Let's walk down. It's only a short way and it will help clear our heads." Everyone nodded in agreement, put their wands back from where they'd grabbed them and ran to the front door._

_"Hang on!" yelled out Ginny suddenly. Everyone screeched to a halt and turned to face her, eyes wide and questioning. "Let's tease them a little bit." Everyone just looked at her blankly. Ginny rolled her eyes and explained. "Wear something just a little bit sexy or revealing, you know whether it be a short skirt, long skirt with a split up the side to the thigh, strapless top, cleavage top, whatever!"_

_Everyone just looked at her, mouths hanging wide open, especially Hermione's._

_"Ginny?" asked Hermione a little cautiously._

_"Oh c'mon Hermione, we are all grown ups, we're all intimate with our partners… let's just tease them a little. They won't mind and they'll probably be too tipsy to do anything about it." Ginny pouted somewhat, eyes cast downwards, pretending to be hurt, until Hermione gave in with a bout of massive giggles._

_Everyone quickly transfigured their clothes into how they wanted to look, Hermione put all the candles out with a flick of her wand, and then everyone burst out the front door of The Notch giggling, stumbling and pointing at each other's boldness._

_They stood there for a moment. It was a cloudless, summer evening; stars were shining and there was not a breath of wind, and the temperature was still perfectly mild._

_"Oh, I love nights like these," said Emily with a sigh, standing in the middle of the road with her head hanging back, staring up into the night sky._

_"Oh c'mon," said Penny urgently stamping her foot to emphasise, "let's go. I can't wait to see what them. I know they've got the place to themselves, so who knows what they've been up to."_

_"You know Penny," Hermione mused, "I've never seen you like this before."_

_"Well that's what being married and having a child will do to you, Hermione," said Penny laughing. She sobered instantly and turned to Hermione and grabbed one of her hands, "and it's the best thing I ever did. You are right though," Penny continued, letting go of Hermione's hand, "I rarely get the chance to really let my hair down. And it's not Percy either, it's just finding the time." Penny smiled contentedly as they continued to hurry down the street, leaving The Notch in darkness. _

OOooOO

_Seconds earlier…_

_With a soft pop! Anne and Tonks Apparated into The Notch, and were immediately aware that they were alone._

_"Where on earth could they all be?" asked Anne looking around curiously, lighting candles with a flick of her hand, to see an empty lounge room._

_"Dunno," replied Tonks, "but I can still smell the afterburn of the candles being put out, so they've only just left."_

_"You don't think…" Anne left the statement hanging in the air._

_Tonks turned to face Anne, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Oh yeah, I bet they have. Quick let's catch up with them." /I_

_center /center_

_I Almost at the Snout's Fair…_

_The girls could see the lights of the Snout's Fair, but couldn't hear anything from within._

_"I'll bet Goldie's put up some kind of silencing spell so that they don't wake up the neighbours," mused Cho matter of factly._

_As the group approached the windows, they heard footsteps behind them and turned to see who it was._

_"Mum!" cried Emily, startled to see Anne there. "What are you doing here?"_

_"Well, we came to join in the fun for a little while. But young lady, just what are you all up to?"_

_"Oh, we just thought we'd spy on the boys for a little while," giggled Hermione. "Have you two had any fun this evening?"_

_"Well, I wouldn't call it having fun as much as I'd call it being entertained," said Anne wryly, the corners of her mouth crinkling into a smile. "They have been very, very funny. And Tonks has been having fun at Remus's expense, haven't you Tonks?"_

_"Ooooh yes," whispered Tonks conspiratorially._

_"What are you talking about?" asked Katie looking confusedly at Anne and Tonks._

_"Well," Tonks continued crooking her finger at the girls to get them to move in closer, "I rather like dear Remus and I know he feels the same way about me, but it's getting him to admit it, is the thing." Tonks looked sad for a moment, before continuing. "Of course the real problem is that he doesn't believe he can have a relationship with any woman because of Moony, which I'm not the least bit bothered by."_

_The girls all pondered this for a moment and then Anne put her hand on Tonks's arm and her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. "I know just what to do."_

_The girls all bent their heads in closer and listened to Anne's plan, and then after suffering from a complete fit of giggles, they calmed down and took out their wands._

OOooOO

_In the blink of an eye, the group of witches had Disapparated from hiding outside the bar's window, to appear beside their chosen man. They all Apparated in at precisely the same time, kissed their boyfriend/partner on the cheek and then ducked!_

_The boys, totally unprepared for the arrival of the girls, either fell off their chairs in surprise, or, in the case of Sirius, Harry and Ron who had all faced dangerous situations quite recently, they cried out in shock and grabbed their wands in defensive maneouvres._

_Except in Remus's case._

_Tonks didn't just land beside him and unexpectedly give him a peck on the cheek. She had been watching him carefully, and the girls had timed it so that they Apparated in when Remus was standing up. That way he was in perfect position._

_Ginny smiled to herself, still with her eyes closed, remembering what had happened next._

_Tonks Apparated to Remus's side and simultaneously put her hands around his neck and kissed him fully on the lips. It was funniest sight ever! Remus, whilst being taken by surprise at finding a pair of lips against his own, had still maintained a tiny bit of rationale and had pulled his wand from his pocket, despite the fact that his assailant had her arms around him and was kissing him quite passionately._

_Then before anyone could react, they broke apart and Disapparated._

Ginny opened her eyes to find Harry leaning quietly against the doorframe, just watching her.

OOooOO

Harry approached the Quidditch dressing room quietly. As he moved into the room he saw Ginny slouching on a chair, her eyes closed. As his mind wandered over the events of the day, his mind drifted back to the night before - to the beginning of Ron's Bucks Night.

_"Last one there has to smell Charlie's work boots," Fred announced as he ran down the stairs, jumping the last few and suddenly Apparating away._

_A look of disgust and revulsion spread quickly amongst the group as they all scrambled for their wands and Apparated away. Arriving inside the pub, Fred waited a few seconds for the rest of the group to arrive. Already standing around the room were the three Australian boys, and some of Ron and Harry's mates from Hogwarts._

_Apparating into the pub, the Weasley boys, Harry, Anne, Sirius, Remus and Tonks landed on top of each other in a tangle of arms, legs and bodies._

_"Ouch get off me you lug," Ron gasped._

_"Who's leg is this?"_

_"If you even think of looking up my skirt Sirius Black…"_

_"Hello? Person at the bottom!"_

_"Ouch, that was my foot!"_

_"Who touched my backside?"_

_"Percy keep your hands to yourself!"_

_"Would whoever is on top MOVE!" Harry shouted from somewhere amongst the tangle of people._

_Fred watched the scene from a stool next to the bar. He had known that the arrival would be funny, but the added comedic value of the entanglement was even better._

_"Colin, I sure hope you're getting lots of photos!" Fred laughed. "And Ms Fletcher, what lovely legs you have!"_

_"Mr Weasley one more comment from you and the wizarding world won't have to worry about any Weasley twin offspring! Anne cursed. "Now help us out!"_

_"ANNE! Did you have to give me that mental image? Fred and offspring shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence," Ron muttered finally extracting himself from the pile of bodies._

_"Merlin, next time I'll take smelling the bloody shoes!" Harry said, stretching the crick out of his neck. "Everyone else okay?" receiving a chorus of 'yeah' and 'fine's'._

_"So Fred… who won… or should I say lost?" George asked chewing on his bottom lip._

_Fred jumped up from his stool, held his hand up to his mouth as if he were holding a microphone and announced, in his best commentator voice, "And the winner of the 'Smelling Charlie's Work Boots Competition' is… Drum roll if you would Phil…." Fred paused drawing out the suspense, causing the rest of the group to cringe, "Charlie!"_

_"Well then…" Charlie said, walking over to a stool and pulling off a dragon hide boot, and inhaling deeply, "it's not that bad!" he exclaimed putting it back on._

_This caused the boys to laugh._

_"So who's buying the first round?" Bill asked loudly. The boys had booked the pub out solely for Ron's Bucks night. Goldie had put up special silencing and privacy wards for the occasion._

_"That vould be me Mr Veasley," Goldie said coming out from the shadows._

_"Goldie," Harry said, "It's good to see you again."_

_"And it is good to have you home again Mr Potter," smiled Goldie genially. "So, a round ov my liquid curse for all I am guessing?"_

_"One of many hopefully," Ron grinned._

That had been the start of a great evening, that had ended even better, Harry thought to himself.

"I hope that's a good dream you were having," said Harry, wondering what she'd been thinking about.

"I was just remembering last night when we descended on all of you at the Snout's Fair," replied Ginny, the corners of her mouth twitching up. "The look on all your faces, especially Remus's, was absolutely brilliant. Have you spoken to him today?"

"Yes, but only briefly. He hasn't said a I word /I about what happened last night. But Tonks was there alone when Sirius got home and when Remus did turn up he didn't say a word, apparently."

"Oooh, I would love to have been a fly on the wall for that little scene," remarked Ginny, rubbing her hands together, a wicked smile on her face.

"Ginny!" cried Harry, looking a little shocked.

"What?" responded Ginny, laughing at his reaction. "C'mon Harry. Don't you think, besides you and Sirius of course, that out of all the people you know, that Remus also deserves to be happy as well, given his lycanthropy? He's been alone for most of his life Harry."

Harry hadn't really considered it before. He'd spent most of his life worrying about Voldemort, loving Ginny or looking for her. He'd never really considered anyone else's love life and a shadow crossed his face at his own self realisation.

"No Harry, it's not your fault," teased Ginny, reading his mind and getting up from the bench.

Harry just looked at her, thankful that she could read him so well. "I know, I just…" he wasn't sure how to explain how he felt without sounding really selfish. He just looked down at his shoes, thinking.

"Haven't had time to focus on other people in that way before, in your entire life?" Ginny stood close to Harry and tipped his head up gently with her forefinger, so that she could look deeply into his green, soulful eyes. "You're not responsible Harry. Even you are not that powerful. And people do understand you know. You certainly don't have to explain or feel guilty. You've had the toughest upbringing anyone could imagine… and that's all about to change. Now that you found me, rescued me a few times," her eyes twinkled at him merrily, teasing him, "you've got all the time in the world now Harry. For Sirius, your friends, me, us and yourself too."

"Thanks Ginny. I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have you to put things into perspective for me." Harry kissed her gently on the lips and then reluctantly let her go. "I just came in to see if you were ready to start."

"Yeah, in a few minutes. I'll go and find Emily and then we'll get started. Now remember Harry, not a word."

Harry solemnly saluted his girlfriend and then returned to the Quidditch Pitch.

OOooOO

Ginny and Emily stood underneath the stadium, just behind the stage where nobody could see them. They had decided before they left Australia to keep the fact that Ginny was the singer of the band a secret, to surprise everyone at the wedding. To all the guests' knowledge, Emily was going to be performing tonight.

The boys had gone on stage about ten minutes earlier, to set up. And although they were still using muggle musical instruments, amplifiers, speakers and microphones, everything was being powered by magic.

The boys had had a big day so far. Not only had they spent the evening before with the boys' in a totally wizard pub, but they were the first muggles in history to be able to see Hogwarts.

Dumbledore, with permission from the Board of Governors, had developed a spell that would allow the Aussie boys to not only see Hogwarts, but to gain entrance despite their 'non-magic' status. And with a little help from the twins - obviously the most creative of the Weasley's - they had figured out a way to power their instruments, despite not having electricity.

Emily noticed the slightly terrified look on Ginny's face and immediately sought to reassure her. "Ginny, you'll be fine. Don't think about them, only focus on one song at a time. They will love you, I guarantee it."

Ginny looked at Emily, still a little fearful. "I know," she said nervously, "I'll be fine as long as I can unfreeze my legs."

Suddenly she saw Fred walk into view, give her a nod, and then the first chord was struck.

Ginny took a deep breath.

At that very moment, she thought she'd rather face a dragon at the Tri Wizard Tournament than go on stage and sing in front of all her family and friends. She knew every single person here… it was a terrifying realisation. At the pub there was always a generous percentage of people she I didn't /I know, which always made performing easier in some ways, but this was not the same.

She muttered the ' I sonorous /I ' charm on the microphone she was holding, took a deep breath and as she walked up the back steps of the stage, she started to sing.

_It's been a long and winding journey_

_But I'm finally here tonight_

_Picking up the pieces_

_Walking back into the light_

As the music started, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the stage. Into the spotlight came Ginny, walking slowly, singing, till she reached the microphone stand.

Varying degrees of shock filtered across many of the faces in the crowd; Molly's hand had flown to her mouth in shock.

_To the sunset of your glory_

_Where my heart and future lies_

_There's nothing like that feeling_

_When I look into your eyes_

As she placed the microphone into its cradle, Ginny's gaze drifted across the room instinctively looking for Harry.

Ginny stood still, centre stage, as she stood nervously in front of the microphone, letting the music wash over her as she sung the lyrics, meant only for him.

Emily shook her head in renewed amazement. Ginny was amazing, she always had been. And Emily knew she was just as good a singer as Ginny, but Ginny put the kind of heart and soul into her singing that Emily hadn't been able to do yet. And Ginny always had a new song that fit perfectly in that moment, and this one was no different.

_My dreams came true_

_When I found you_

_I found you, my miracle_

As she sung this particular line, she caught Harry's eyes for just a moment, and knew that he felt the same way. She let her gaze drift from Harry to all the rest of the Weasley's at the same table; their eyes were wide in shock at seeing their little sister and youngest daughter up on stage pouring her heart out. Singing.

_If you could see what I see_

_That you're the answer to my prayers_

_And if you can feel_

_The tenderness I feel_

_You would know_

_It would be clear_

_That angels brought me here _

Harry shouldn't have been shocked to realise that Ginny was singing to only him again, but his brain and his heart still naturally found it hard to accept, easily at least, her feelings for him being vocalised this way. She was an amazing girl. I 'No' /I thought Harry, I 'she's a woman' /I . But his brain was taking its usual I 'what have I done to deserve her?' /I course. She never ceased to amaze him; she always had a new song. He knew this one was for him and he was suddenly filled with the impulse to do the same for her. However, he had no clue as to what to do.

Ginny caught Harry's eye, saw that he was looking pensive and wondered what he was thinking about.

_Standing here before you_

_Feels like I've been born again_

_Every breath is your love_

_Every heartbeat speaks your name_

Emily looked up and caught Ginny's eyes and smiled at her proudly. Ginny nodded to her and glanced over to Harry, trying to hint to Emily to go and dance with him. Emily understood and walked calmly over to Harry, inviting him to dance with her.

_My dreams came true_

_Right here in front of you_

_My miracle _

"She's amazing isn't she?" Emily asked Harry as they made their way onto the dance floor.

"Mmmm" was the only distinguishable sound Harry made in response.

"Harry? Are you okay?" she asked. "You don't look quite with it." She wondered if he would give her an answer; she knew he wasn't overly open with his emotions.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he commented, pulling Emily into an appropriate dancing position. Emily just waited, slowly moving with the music, she knew that time was all it took with Harry. Ginny had explained that it usually took him a while to verbalise whatever he might be thinking about, especially if the topic was emotionally pertinent.

_If you could see what I see_

_You're the answer to my prayers_

_If you could feel_

_The tenderness I feel_

_You would know_

_It would be clear_

_That angels brought me here _

"What did I do to deserve her?" he suddenly asked, quietly. "Saying 'I love you' just doesn't seem to cover it anymore. How can I show her I feel the same way?" he asked Emily quietly

"I'm not sure, Harry," replied Emily, a little surprised at his frankness. "Are you asking for my help?" She let that sit with him for a second, the corners of her mouth crinkling upwards into a half smile. She knew how hard it was for Harry to ask for help; Ginny had clued her in as much. He looked so forlorn, that Emily squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I'm teasing Harry. I'll put my thinking cap on. In the meantime, it'll be fine Harry, you know I'd do anything for you and Ginny."

_Brought me here to be with you_

_I'd be forever grateful_

_Oh forever faithful _

Ginny continued to pour herself into the song. She was a little concerned to see Emily and Harry looking so serious, but knew from experience that if he was still sombre after the set, she would make him spill whatever it was, otherwise he would stew on it for days.

Slowly Molly and Arthur, Ron and Hermione, Percy and Penelope, and the rest of the Weasley couples got up and moved to the dance floor, surprised and proud of Ginny. She had made something of herself; she stood out from the surrounding enclosure of her older brothers.

_My dreams came true_

_When I found you_

_My miracle _

Ginny pointed at Harry, making sure everyone watching knew that this was for him. She meant every word, heart and soul.

_If you could see what I see_

_You're the answer to my prayers_

_If you could feel_

_The tenderness I feel_

_You would know_

_It would be clear_

_That angels brought me here_

She held the last note, letting the boys carry on the chorus. She wasn't aware of what she was doing, how she was moving, she was just focused on giving 100, wearing her heart on her sleeve, for everyone to see.

_(If you could see what I see_

_You're the answer to my prayers)_

_Yes they brought me here,_

_And if you could feel_

_The tenderness I feel_

_You would know_

_It would be clear_

_That angels brought me here_

As she sung the last note, she locked eyes with Harry and mouthed 'I Love You' to him, before addressing the other wedding guests.

"Good evening everyone, and for those of you still in shock, no you're not hallucinating. Yes it's me, little Ginny Weasley, and these lovely gentlemen are, Fred King, Phil Holton, and Shane Travers, and we are known as BeWITCHing Evil. Now how about we play something a little more up-tempo?" she asked the crowd, who responded with a cheer.

"One, two, one, two, three, four…" called Phil from behind the drum kit, tapping his drumsticks together.

OOooOO

"Well, I think everyone will be in shock for a long while to come Ginny," murmured Harry lazily, as they sat slumped back in their chairs, watching as people began to leave the Quidditch pitch.

After throwing off his apparent unsettledness when Ginny had begun to sing, Harry had enjoyed the rest of the evening. The wedding, and indeed the evening, had been a wonderful success. Ron and Hermione were having one night to themselves in her Professor's quarters somewhere within Hogwarts, before Hermione returned to work for the first day of classes tomorrow morning, as Professor Weasley.

Dumbledore had departed the reception briefly to greet this years' students and sort the new first years' into their Houses, and then he had bid them farewell and returned to the wedding reception on the Quidditch pitch, in perfect time for Hermione's speech.

_"I don't really know what is customary for a wizards wedding, and it certainly isn't traditional for the bride to speak at a muggle wedding either, but after the most amazing day, I'm more than happy to break another tradition." Hermione was standing beside Ron, fresh, glowing, radiant, as any bride should be._

_"Today has been a little surreal for me, for a lot of reasons._

_"Firstly, Ginny is home again." Hermione paused, looking out over tables filled with friends, colleagues and of course, family, "and I just want to thank Harry for never, ever giving up." She paused again, swallowed, praying that she kept everything under control, for everyone's sake, not just hers. "Thanks to you Harry - "_

_"Again!" interrupted George with a shout, which all the guests laughed at, and made Harry go red with embarrassment._

_" - yes, again. Not only did Harry find Ginny, which of course no one else could possibly have done, but he then went and saved her life again." She turned to face Harry, her eyes bright and serious, years of friendship and love emanating from her. Her voice dropped an octave, filled with emotion. "Thank you Harry. I don't think we'll ever really be able to express in words how we feel about having Ginny back, safe and sound. This day has been so special for Ron and I, even more so because Ginny is here, alive and well, and that is because of you."_

_Hermione moved to him, Harry stood up, and they hugged each other tightly._

_Of course, most of the guests had never seen Harry or Hermione this open and emotional before, so in seconds all the girls had tears in their eyes, the boys mouths' gaping in astonishment._

_Hermione let him go with a swift kiss on his cheek and returned to stand beside Ron, who was sitting looked mostly composed, except the raised eyebrows which belied what he was really thinking. Not that he minded. Hermione was just being brilliant as usual._

_Molly reached out her hand and patted Harry's hand gently. He turned and acknowledged both Molly and Arthur in his usual, quiet way._

_"And now to my amazing husband," Hermione started again, after wiping an errant tear from her eyes. Ron sat up a little straighter and looked up at Hermione questioningly. She just smiled back at him and reached down and clasped his hand in hers._

_"Ron, you have been such a surprise to me - " began Hermione._

_"Surprise he grew up don't you mean Hermione!" cried out Seamus Finnigan._

_"Na uh," replied Hermione smiling broadly, wagging a finger at Seamus. "And please don't give me an excuse to start on you Seamus - that would be too easy," countered Hermione. Everyone laughed at her quick quip, and Seamus just smiled in return, raised his glass to Hermione and admitted defeat._

_"I'm not going to mess with an Ex-Head Girl. Wouldn't want to risk losing points for Gryffindor before the year has even started!"_

_Another roar of laughter from their friends, and everyone quietened down again._

_"Ron has been the most steadfast, true friend ever since the Troll incident in our first year at Hogwarts. He's not scared to stand by his best friend to face danger, even when the news is apocalyptic in nature," spoke Hermione quietly, referring to the moment when she and Ron heard about the Prophecy from Harry. Ron, like herself, didn't blink an eyelid and stood by him until the very end. "And he has gone out on a limb so many times, that I stopped counting a long time ago. He may not get the press that Harry does, or the attention, and I know that over the years he's been glad not to have the attention, but he does deserve to be acknowledged, but not just for those things._

_"Something happened earlier today, and it touched my heart to the very core." Everyone was silent, waiting for Hermione to continue. "As you all know, I lost my parents five years ago, and I wouldn't have got through that year if it hadn't been for Ron's support and the kindness shown to me by the entire Weasley family, and of course Harry, as well as the support I received from the members within the Order of the Phoenix._

_"So today has been a little bittersweet for me. But I certainly wasn't prepared for the gift that Ron gave me this morning. As soon as he got his first pay, he started repairing the damage that had been done to my home the night I lost my parents. And although he finished that about two years ago, he has still been maintaining the grounds and the house for all that time. And this morning he replaced the horrific memories of what happened to my parents, with new memories. Everything is now exactly as I left it that morning, and to make it even more special, Ron and I were married there before coming here._

_At a number of raised eyebrows, Hermione quickly added. "Which doesn't make this ceremony any less special for me," Hermione explained hurriedly, "but it was a way of being with my parents in a place that was totally theirs, with two people who have come to mean the world to me. Molly and Arthur have been surrogate parents to me for many years now, and I just want to thank you both for guiding me so aptly since losing my parents."_

_There was silence for a moment and then applause broke out from the Weasley kids for their parents, appreciation for the wonderful people they were. Soon everyone joined in, and Hermione waited for the applause to die down before continuing._

_"And so now I'd like to propose a toast, not to us as such, but to Ron, for surprising me with the my parents' home this morning, for returning my happy memories to me, and for being the most amazing man a girl could ever wish for. I couldn't have survived Hogwarts without you and I certainly couldn't have survived losing my parents without you there to support and love me all the way through. And now you've returned them to me, in a way, even if it was for only a day. It's priceless and I'll never forget it."_

_Hermione leaned down and kissed him fully on the lips, not caring how long they took. Ron stood up, still kissing Hermione and grasped her around the waist and swung her around and around._

_They were totally lost in their own happiness, when in the midst of their kissing they heard the applause of their friends. Smiling and laughing, they stopped kissing and turned to look at everyone… and Hermione had one more thing to say._

_"I don't know if any of you realise; the day my parents died was the day that everyone in my life was elevated to the status of family. All my friends, professors and mentors…" here Hermione nodded to Sirius and Remus. "You have all become the cousins that I never had, Ron's siblings have become my siblings, although that's a little scary when contemplating the twins of course," everyone laughed at this comment, "and his parents my parents, and I'll always be grateful most of all, to Neville Longbottom for losing his toad, Trevor, on our first ride on the Hogwarts Express. Otherwise I might not have met Ron."_

_Hermione raised her glass in the air, gave a silent toast to Neville, and everyone followed suit._

_Then Ginny and the boys in the band stood up and made their way to the stage again. everyone sat down and waited for Ginny to begin._

_She cast the 'sonorus' charm and spoke to the guests. "And now if you two lovebirds would take the floor, I have a surprise for you both."_

_Ron and Hermione made their way to the dance floor, both with eyebrows raised at Ginny._

_"Now before I sing the next song… there's a story behind it," Ginny explained, her eyes twinkling with secret knowledge. "These two are really funny sometimes. They both approached me, individually, whilst we were in Australia, after they discovered I could sing, and asked me to write a song for the other, as their special dedication. Neither of them knew that the other had been to see me, and the result is a song that I have written for both of them, dedicated to each other, from each other." By this time Ginny couldn't help grinning from ear to ear and everyone was having a chuckle at their expense._

_There was a momentary silence and then…_

Look into my eyes - you will see  
What you mean to me  
Search your heart - search your soul  
And when you find me there you'll search no more  
Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for  
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for  
You know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you

_Ron and Hermione moved around the dance floor, gazing into each others eyes, smiling, murmuring to each other. 'Awwww,' thought Emily, 'that is so romantic.'_

Look into your heart - you will find  
There's nothin' there to hide  
Take me as I am - take my life  
I would give it all - I would sacrifice

Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for  
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more  
You know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you

There's no love - like your love  
And no other - could give more love  
There's nowhere - unless you're there  
All the time - all the way

Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for  
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more  
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you  
Walk the wire for you - yeah I'd die for you

You know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you

_BeWITCHing Evil finished to thunderous applause, and Ron and Hermione moved to the stage to hug, kiss and generally thank Ginny and the band._

"Well, after all these years, I'm finally standing out in my family for something that no one expected," mused Ginny tiredly from Harry's side, her hand reaching for his.

"Well, they're not going to forget this wedding in a hurry, that's for sure," mumbled Harry, who was practically asleep.

"Are you ready to go home now?" whispered Ginny in Harry's ear, startling him into wakefulness.

Harry just looked at Ginny with a sideways glance, thinking to himself I 'boy, she looks so sexy right now'/I and then stopped his thoughts before they took him somewhere that he shouldn't be headed for. "Um, yeah, let's go home. Let's just say goodbye before we head off."

Harry stood up and held out his hand to pull Ginny up from her seat. They stood there for a moment, standing so close their bodies were practically touching, gazing at each other. Harry's heartrate sped up. Ginny was fixing him with a stare that was very reminiscent of the night before, when the girls had suddenly turned up at the Snout's Fair.

I The night before, seconds after the girls had Apparated into the Snout's Fair… Ginny had Apparated in and pecked Harry on the cheek.

Harry leaped off his chair into duel stance before she could blink. Of course, with a few similar reactions from Sirius and Ron, he didn't feel as silly. Of course, Remus didn't get the chance to react at all because Tonks was kissing him soundly.

Seconds later Tonks and Remus Disapparated and before Harry's brain could catch up with everything, Ginny had grabbed his wand hand, lowered it to Harry's side, and stepped up close, pushed him back onto his chair and then proceeded to straddle him on his lap, face to face, watching his reactions to every move she made. She wrapped both legs around his hips and laced her hands around his neck and leaned back a little, a smile crinkling the corner of her lips (onto which she'd also magicked flame red lipstick to match her hair).

Harry couldn't move. He could feel her like he hadn't felt her since before she'd run away. The look in her eyes was smouldering and mischievous, like she was enjoying making him squirm. She wriggled and inched closer to him, her body moving closer to his, millimetre by millimetre. He was glad that she was sitting on him, otherwise he'd be struggling to hide the bulge in his pants at this very moment.

Without a word Ginny leaned into him, till her breasts were brushing his chest. His eyes took in what she was wearing. Pajamas; the pants were hanging off her slender hips, so that her belly button and stomach was showing, and the top had a wide neck, which allowed it to slip off one shoulder, exposing creamy, freckled flesh. It only just stopped over one breast, but it didn't take any imagination at all to realise that she wasn't wearing anything underneath these pajamas. And as Harry's hands slid around her hips, Harry could feel that she wasn't even wearing underpants either! And the knowledge made his body react, instantly.

"Surprised?" asked Ginny innocently, tucking her hair behind her left ear.

"Of course I am," said Harry, his head clearing remarkably quickly, given how drunk he'd felt just moments ago.

"We were just wondering what mischief you were getting up to."

"Mischief? And you don't think you're being mischievous wearing this?" countered Harry lightly. With his keen insight, Harry suddenly realised that this little display was purely for his benefit, and he was picking up enough of the conversations going on around him to realise that… "this was your idea wasn't it? To come dressed provocatively?"

"Yes. Do you mind?" Suddenly a worried expressed crossed Ginny's features.

"Nope," replied Harry impassively, not showing any emotion one way or the other.

Ginny suddenly felt unsure of herself. She'd been thinking about this ever since she'd told Ron and Hermione about the rape. Such a weight had fallen from her shoulders that she had begun to realise something else really important. That she and Harry hadn't been intimate on any level since she'd fallen apart back at The Blue Angel, in Australia. And she'd realised that even though she'd needed the time to figure out the intimate side of things, she hadn't really thought about how Harry had been handling it. And it had suddenly hit her during brunch at The Burrow and she'd realised that she needed to let him know that she was ready to resume their relationship from where they'd left it, three years ago.

"But you don't look happy to see me," said Ginny cautiously, trying to figure out where he was with things.

"Well, maybe not with my expressions Gin," Harry whispered, and he leaned up to whisper in her ear, his breath hot and intimate, "but my body is telling another story entirely, and that's what my brain is concentrating on controlling right this minute." And finishing his sentence, he discreetly thrust his hips upwards to show Ginny just what he meant.

Ginny's eyes widened and then before he could speak again, she'd smothered him with kisses and wasn't letting go. She pressed herself against him, flattening her breasts to his chest, letting him know with every squirm on his lap that she was more than ready for whatever happened next. /I

"Well, Mr Potter," asked Ginny smiling up at Harry. "Are you ready?"

Harry, startled out of his reverie, and realising that the question was a completely loaded one, replied, "Yes, I am, but only if you are."

Ginny leaned in and kissed him provocatively on the lips, her tongue slipping sensuously between his lips, tasting him, "oh, yes, I'm very, very ready."

It took five minutes to go and say goodbye to everyone. Fred, Shane, Phil and Emily were packing up with the help of Fred, George, Angelina and Katie, and the eight of them were staying at the Three Broomsticks for the night. They said goodbye to Molly and Arthur, Penny and Percy and walked down the long drive to the Hogwarts gate.

"Finally, we're alone," said Harry, secretly thrilled at what was about to happen.

"Yes, we are, and I can't wait to get home. We'll be completely alone for the first time in such a long time… no one else in the house, no one to surprise us in the kitchen in the morning, no Mum, no Ron, no Hermione or even Sirius and Remus. Bliss!" said Ginny emphatically, grinning up at Harry.

They got to the main gate, and Harry couldn't stand it any longer. He grabbed Ginny and pinned her up against the edge of the gate (cushioning it for her first) and then began kissing her all over, touching every bit of skin that was exposed.

He began with her forehead, and then reverently kissed her face, neck, ears, shoulders and he could feel Ginny's body respond to him and he thrilled at it. He could barely wait to get home.


	30. Expectations

**Chapter 30**

**Expectations**

oooOOOooo

Whilst Harry and Ginny were making out down at the main gate of Hogwarts, Remus was struggling with relationship issues from the other end of the scale.

He had excused himself and retreated into Hogwarts itself, to gain some much needed breathing space. And despite his usual calm disposition and the smiling face that he'd shown to everyone today, his brain hadn't stopped churning since the events of the night before. Remus wandered along the hallways and found his feet taking him to the dungeons where Potions classes were held. For reasons he couldn't quite fathom, he was missing Snape, and though he'd taught Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, he'd always put his instinctive connection to Potions down to his need for the Wolfsbane Potion. And Snape was the only Hogwarts Professor who had been talented enough to make it.

As he stepped into the dungeon, candles suddenly lit up casting an eerie glow. Remus's senses, very finely tuned, couldn't see anyone, but stayed alert - his eyes casting about for anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, the hairs on his neck stood on end; it was the wolf in him - sometimes he just had a sixth sense about his surroundings.

Suddenly he stopped midstep. He sniffed the air, detecting a scent that had become familiar to him since his return home.

"Tonks, wherever you are, come out. Now." Remus's tone brooked no tolerance.

Seconds later, Tonks appeared - from underneath an Invisibility Cloak - standing in front of the professors desk at the front of the room.

"I suppose Sirius gave you that, did he?" asked Remus not moving from where he stood, in the middle of the classroom.

"Yes, he did actually," smiled Tonks, not looking the least bit embarrassed.

"Well, it's a little childish don't you think? Following me around?"

"Just as childish as you pretending that nothing's going on between us," countered Tonks, her smile slowly dissipating. She had known this wasn't going to be easy, but she thought after a day such as today, that he might have mellowed a bit. Her hair slowly turned to a dull, lifeless, brown.

They faced each other across the dungeon.

"I don't know what you want from me Tonks."

"Yes you do Remus, you just won't admit it," began Tonks.

Remus's hands balled into fists by his sides. He looked at the floor, his head inclined, refusing to meet her gaze. Remus was, by nature, a placid and rational man, but this was pushing every one of his buttons - and suddenly he wished Lily was here to help him work through all this confusion.

"Lily can't help you," said Tonks crossing her arms, looking him dead on.

Remus's head shot up and looked at Tonks in shock. "How did you…?" he began.

"I may be young and clumsy Remus, but I'm a woman too, or hadn't you noticed?" Tonks was slowly getting angry.

Normally a very cheerful young woman, Tonks knew very well that most people didn't give her any credit for being intelligent, however over the years she had proven herself time and time again with her loyalty _and_ talent in the Auror Division. She might still be clumsy, but not when it really mattered.

She continued on, "Lily was the only girl or woman who really understood you and accepted you for who and what you are."

Remus swallowed nervously. He felt cornered, and he, like the wolf, hated that feeling. He closed his eyes momentarily, only to open them again to find that Tonks had moved closer and he found himself staring down into her dark, deep eyes.

"Tonks," began Remus, feeling decidedly uncomfortable. He took a step backwards. Tonks followed him. "Don't you see that this could never work?"

"No, I don't see that at all. I see a wonderful man who hasn't had anyone to share his life with. I see a man that I'm attracted to on many levels. What I _don't_ understand is why you won't let me through all the barriers you keep putting up," stated Tonks, her voice strong and vibrant. "What was last night then? Were you just pretending? Because that line of thought only works if it was for everyone else's benefit, but given that we both Apparated out of the pub in seconds, it doesn't explain why you didn't stop once we were at Lupin Lodge. So you thought it was okay to kiss me passionately for, what was it, ten minutes?"

Remus lowered his eyes, not wanting to face her dark, penetrating gaze.

"Remus, if _this_ really is nothing to you, then at least apologise or explain last night to me," continued Tonks, hurt creeping into her voice. She waited, but no response was forthcoming. "I deserve an answer Remus."

Remus raised his head and looked back at Tonks. He ran his hand back and forth across his mouth and then it settled at the back of his neck, as if he had a painful spot, then dropped his hand as she continued to stare him down.

"Tonks, you know I like and respect you very much, but this…" Remus faltered, not knowing how to communicate how he felt. He knew he was very taken with Tonks, but he was concerned about the wolf and…

"I'm not scared of Moony, you know," replied Tonks, as if she had just read his mind again.

"Maybe not, but I am," blurted out Remus, before he could stop himself, shooting her a harried look before turning away again.

"Remus?" countered Tonks, suddenly confused at his outburst. "What… - "

"I mean I'm scared that one month something will go wrong and you will be another potential victim for me to kill." For a moment there was silence.

Slowly Tonks moved closer, talking as she moved towards him. "Don't you think that's my decision to make?"

"No. It's mine. You're not the one that has to live with the responsibility of an innocent death on their hands. How is it that everyone else finds it so easy to allay my guilt about this? How can you make that decision for me? How can you be so casual about your own life?" countered Remus, his voice sounding more guttural, as his emotions came to the boil.

For a moment he had the look of someone haunted by the past. He had the anguish that Sirius often showed when anyone brought up the Potters or Azkaban and Tonks wasn't sure how to deal with this. He'd never shown this side before; not that it bothered her, this encounter was just showing different dimensions to his complex personality.

"I'm not easy Tonks," Remus interrupted her thoughts.

"Thank goodness for that! Who wants boring?" quipped Tonks lightly, taking a tentative step towards him.

Remus smiled wryly, shaking his head in amazement. Even now, she could make him smile. "I mean, I try to… " his voice faded away. He couldn't think straight when she was looking at him like that. And she was dressed so beautifully.

Her dress was more traditional than modern, in terms of wizards clothing; her cloak had been beautifully tailored and the soft mauve colour skimmed over her sensuous curves, with a hood that was, at the moment, pushed to the back; but the dress it covered was elegant and simple in one sense, but the glittering array of colours hinted at her true, bright nature.

He loved it. It suited her perfectly. And at the moment he couldn't take his eyes off the way it clung to her figure, revealing a little cleavage, showing the gentle curve of her breasts, sweeping down to the curve of her hips and falling to the floor, where he could see the silver glitter of high heels peeking out from beneath the folds of silky material. He stood, transfixed.

"Try to what?" Tonks gently urged him to continue.

"I… I come across as being very affable Tonks, but I'm…" here Remus paused a moment, considering how to put it to her, "I'm an extremely controlled person. And if I'm not then…" he trailed off and looked at her helplessly.

It suddenly dawned on Tonks what the stumbling block was. "You're scared that if you fall in love that you'll lose control of the wolf?" she asked incredulously, her voice pitching higher than usual. She turned away from him and walked away a few steps, hands on hips, looking up at the ceiling.

"Tonks, I'm sorry. I honestly don't want to hurt you, - "

"It's too late for that Remus! You've already hurt me. Haven't you figured it out yet?"

Remus stood as still as a statue.

"I've fallen in love you, you silly man." She turned and looked at him again, smiling a crooked smile that was also _filled_ with pain. "I just assumed it was me you were scared of, when it's really yourself! Well, don't you think I'm scared too? Don't you realise that you're not the only one taking a risk here?" She perused his form somberly, wondering what to say next.

"But here's the thing Remus. I trust you. I've come to trust you over the years like I trust no one else. You have been there for me so many times over the years. We've covered each others' backs on assignments. I mean…" here she paused, looking lost, "after the Department of Mysteries. How about every time you sensed I was in danger and stepped in front of me just in time to thwart a nasty curse from hitting me…" her voice trailed off to silence.

"Because I can handle them whereas ordinary wizards can't," explained Remus, interrupting Tonks momentarily.

"Are you sure that's the only reason you've come to my defence each time Remus, or why you always suggest that we pair up for assignments," Tonks countered quickly.

Remus's brain felt like it was overloading. As Tonks spoke, his brain began filtering through all their interactions, searching for intent. His. And it was like a light bulb went on inside his brain and his heart - but Tonks had started again.

Pacing along the rows of desks now, she had picked up the pace. "I don't understand Remus. We are so well suited to each other, we compliment each other in every way imaginable. The wolf doesn't bother me, I'm more than capable of handling what happens every month. I know you're concerned about the age gap, but if I'm not bothered by it, and no one else is bothered by it, then why are _you_ so bothered by it?" She took a deep breath and stopped pacing, looking up again.

This time it was to see that Remus had moved slowly towards her, his eyes never having left her, but his brain was still whirling a million miles an hour.

He stopped just in front of her, close. He couldn't deny what he felt for this woman. And he couldn't really find an argument to refute what she was saying.

"I'm sorry about last night Tonks, I really am," spoke Remus quietly. "You know I respect you far too much to have just callously used you like that."

"What are you saying?" asked Tonks, feeling panicky at his tone.

Remus took a quietly controlled breath in, and slowly exhaled. "I'm trying to say that you were right."

For a moment time stood still.

Tonks stopped breathing.

Remus didn't move a muscle.

Then suddenly, in a move as quick as lightening, Remus stepped up closer to Tonks and pulled her to him in one quick movement, capturing her lips with his own.

Tonks was so surprised that there was no resistance at all; she instantly relaxed in his arms.

It was several minutes later when they broke apart, breathing heavily, and both of them trembling.

"I… I…" stammered Remus, starting to let go of Tonks, as if he'd suddenly done something wrong.

Tonks caught his arms, not letting him go. "No, Remus, don't run away from me," she began to plead, "please don't… I… you need me and I know you don't like admitting that to anyone except Sirius, but it's true. You need what only I can give you. And I'm not afraid to give it.

"Don't be afraid of this," she squeezed his forearms for emphasis, her eyes pleading with him not to run away like he did last night. "This is good, healthy, you deserve to be loved Remus; there's nothing wrong in admitting that. There's nothing wrong in admitting how you feel Remus."

This last part was said so softly that Remus almost couldn't hear her.

"I mean let's face it," she continued softly, "this is what men and women were designed to do, Remus." Tonks paused, emotion creeping into her voice, a tear emerging, glinting at him in the candlelight. A wry smile touched the edge of her lips. "Who else have you ever met, Remus, in your whole life, who will love and care about you the way I do? I'm not a dime a dozen, Remus."

Tonks stepped back from him and turned to leave the room, picking up Sirius's Invisibility Cloak as she left.

Remus was left alone. With his thoughts.

oooOOOooo

Tonks emerged from the main entrance of Hogwarts into the evening light. She took a deep breath and started down the steps.

Sirius watched her as she descended, noting the detached look on her face; like she'd given up. He moved towards her, meeting her at the bottom of the stairs.

"How'd it go?" asked Sirius, knowing the answer already.

Tonks couldn't speak, she just swallowed and tried not to cry, shaking her head.

"He'll come around Tonks, I know he will," comforted Sirius, "I just need to smack him about a bit first, obviously." He grinned, and Tonks looked like she was going to laugh too and then her face crumbled and the tears spilled onto her cheeks. Sirius gathered her up in a hug, trying to comfort her.

He knew, better than anyone, the demons that Remus was facing in light of this relationship. The only other people who knew about his past relationships were dead and unable to be supportive. And he didn't know what to do about this. A few months ago he would've just yelled at him, but Sirius had grown up since going to Australia, and he knew that wasn't the way to deal with Remus.

He'd come home from the Buck's night, eager to find out what had happened, but when he'd arrived he'd only found Tonks in the kitchen, alone. From what Tonks had told him, he gathered they had been quite passionate until Remus had wrenched himself away from her, and despite Tonks's effort to keep him there and talking, he'd Disapparated again and this time she had no idea where he'd gone, and so had decided to wait for him to return.

And he had, but not until the wee, wee hours of the morning, well after Tonks had already left. Sirius had tried to approach him as he'd crossed through the kitchen, but he'd walked straight past Sirius and went upstairs without a word and closed his bedroom door with a slam, and even with years of friendship between them, Sirius knew when to leave well enough alone.

Molly came into his line of sight and motioned to give Tonks to her to take care of.

As Sirius was doing this, Remus came out of the main entrance and began walking down the steps. He stopped immediately when he saw Tonks, Molly and Sirius at the bottom. His face set, he continued down the stairs and stopped a few feet above them.

Sirius was about to say something when Molly let go of Tonks and stepped up to Remus instead.

"How could you, Remus? When you know how she feels about you?"

"How could I what?" countered Remus defensively. "I haven't done anything wrong, Molly, and you know it." Remus was not a man to be pushed around and Sirius knew that Molly was treading on dangerous ground. Then again, she'd been doing that with him for years, so Remus was probably easy by comparison.

"Maybe so, but don't you think you're been hasty?" Molly sounded a little incredulous.

"I'm trying to keep the people that I care about safe," said Remus calmly, "including Tonks. Don't you think I have a duty to continue to do that?"

"Yes, you do, but not at the expense of your own happiness Remus. Why are you giving Tonks so little credit about all this? Do you really think there's logic when it comes to love?" She paused and looked up at him, hoping she was being her usual intimidating self. And then tried another approach and said much more quietly, "do you really think that we all don't trust you _implicitly_ when it comes to Moony? We've trusted you with our children, Remus. What harm can you possibly do to anyone when your transformations are gentle, regulated and contained the way they are? Why are we all allowed to love you, but Tonks isn't? What's the difference Remus?"

Molly didn't wait for an answer. "I'll tell you what the difference is - there isn't any! Which means that this has nothing at all to do with you keeping her safe, and _everything_ to do with how you feel about her." Molly paused for a moment and moved towards Remus, gently took his arm and led him a few feet further away from Tonks and Sirius, in order to have a more private moment with him. "I know that this is a big deal for you," began Molly.

"No, you - " interrupted Remus.

"Yes, I do," shot back Molly. "I may bully around my own children Remus, but I'm not completely insensitive you know."

"Molly, you know I didn't mean - "

Molly interrupted him quickly; her voice softening immediately. "I know you didn't dear. But even though your school years were a different generation to mine and Arthur's, doesn't mean I don't empathise with your _life_ Remus and the challenges you've faced. Sirius, despite his closeness to you, still doesn't _really_ understand what you go through each month, no one truly can, and yet you allow him to share it with you. You've allowed the members of the Order to know who and what you are and you've gained their unwavering respect and loyalty. Any _one_ of them would put their life on the line for you.

"I know Tonks hasn't gone to the incredible lengths that Sirius, James and Peter did when you were all young, but that doesn't mean she _wouldn't. _It doesn't mean that she can't empathise with what you go through every month, or that she doesn't understand like Sirius does… he's just got a few more years on her in terms of friendship and knowledge, that's all. I know you don't have with her what you've got with Sirius, but you don't have with Sirius what you **could have** with her."

Up until now, Remus had been turned away from Molly, his back partially to her, but Molly now pulled him around gently to face her. "I know that the chances of a werewolf finding love are remote, so why on _earth_ would you throw away **this** chance? It's not like she's not worthy of you Remus. She's a good girl, with a huge heart, she's outgoing, completely non-judgmental, takes everyone as they are and doesn't try to change anything about them. You couldn't ask for a more well-rounded, though quirky, woman to accept you purely for who you are Remus. You. The person. Not the wolf. She doesn't see that as defining who you are, she just accepts that it's part of you, but not the whole you. And I know you feel the same way about her."

Molly had finally run out of steam. If this didn't sway him, she honestly didn't think that anything would.

"Molly, I know that you mean well, but this is something that _I_ need to sort out - for myself. It's not something you can help me with, I'm afraid," Remus finally said quietly. He looked over to Sirius and Tonks, who were waiting patiently a few feet away, his gaze lingering on Tonks's face for a moment. He gave her a sad sort of smile before turning away to walk towards the main gate of Hogwarts, alone.

oooOOOooo

Once out of view of everyone, Remus headed for the hills behind Hogwarts and when he felt completely alone, Apparated to the base of the mountains that towered through the clouds and were the backdrop to Hogwarts. He was tired, but he wanted to go for a jog, like he used to. It had been a big day, even without the emotional upheaval at the end, and he had a lot to think about.

Molly had, Remus admittedly grudgingly, hit the nail on the head, on _everything_ she'd mentioned. He knew this was about Tonks and not about safety. He knew that he took all necessary precautions each full moon. He just wasn't ready to admit the truth to himself yet.

Remus had always struggled with this issue, ever since his childhood at Hogwarts.

His lycanthropy status had remained a closely guarded secret for several years, but that all changed, initially thanks to Snape, and it hadn't taken long before he noticed the looks coming from some of the Slytherin students.

And his most humiliating moment had been when a girl asked him out in his final year at Hogwarts; only to discover that it had all been a joke and that she had partly been using him and partly dating him just for the thrill of dating a 'dark creature'.

Though he had been counselled by Dumbledore at the time, the depth of the betrayal had gone deep into his soul, and after that he only trusted the Marauders and those in Gryffindor. She had been his first girlfriend, the first of _many_ things for a young man, and he had sworn that no one would _ever_ do that to him again.

After they had graduated Hogwarts, the war had begun in earnest and when Lily and James died, Remus had run away, his disillusionment at Sirius's apparent betrayal all too familiar and he'd fled for many years until he'd felt it was safe to return to England again.

Remus continued to walk until his head throbbed with thinking too much and then he fell into a jog as the path began to climb, unable to quiet his mind at all, trying to refute the obvious truth of the situation; that he cared for Tonks very deeply and had been falling in love with her for a long time.

However, admitting it didn't necessarily mean he was going to allow the relationship to come to fruition. He didn't know if he could get over the past hurts, the past betrayals. It didn't necessarily matter that he knew Tonks would never betray him or hurt him like that… this was about whether Remus thought he could survive the heartache if the relationship didn't work for another reason altogether.

And he wasn't sure he could.

oooOOOooo

_The Notch... wedding night._

Ginny wandered around The Notch, lighting candles, slowly making her way to the bedroom.

She was nervous. She loved Harry. Of that there was no question. But this was still a big step and she couldn't help the flutters in her stomach.

Harry had disappeared outside about five minutes ago, and Ginny was just beginning to wonder where he had gone when he came in through the back door, and snuck up behind her.

"Close your eyes," murmured Harry, with a touch of laughter to his voice, his lips whispering gently near her earlobe, sending the most delicious shivers throughout her whole body.

If someone had asked her before she'd finished school if this particular moment in time would _ever_ happen, Ginny wasn't sure she could have answered yes to it. She couldn't even have _dreamed_ back then, that all her dreams would _actually_ come true one day. It was the most amazing feeling to have Harry love her so unconditionally - and she knew he did. Without a doubt.

"Okay, they're closed," whispered Ginny. She felt Harry move away silently, and was curious as to what he was doing. She stayed where she was though, eyes shut, her heart beating quickly, the anticipation threatening to overwhelm her. She clasped her hands nervously behind her back, her foot quietly tapping on the carpet, trying to keep herself from peeking.

She suddenly felt Harry behind her again.

He turned her slowly around, checking that her eyes were still closed. He looked at her unabashedly, his feelings for her beginning to overwhelm him. "You can open your eyes now," came his throaty response.

Ginny slowly opened her eyes to see piercing green eyes staring into her soul. She didn't look anywhere else. She often couldn't when he looked at her like that. She always felt so captivated by him that she often froze. She knew he didn't see himself as gorgeous or handsome, but she did. He was so beautiful and she always saw the whole of him at once, not just what the fans saw. They had no clue as to who he really was, and it made her feel all glowy inside to realise that she was one of the few people on _earth_ that knew him this way - more so than anyone else in his life.

Her eyes never left his as she moved in closer and captured his lips with her own.

Harry gathered Ginny up in his arms and, still kissing, carried her through to their bedroom. She still hadn't seen what he'd done, but he didn't care - the surprise wasn't going anywhere.

With a flick of wandless magic, the bedroom opened and Harry carried Ginny to the bed.

He laid her down gently, and Ginny only stopped kissing him when she felt something unusual underneath her.

She reluctantly stopped lavishing him with kisses and as she looked around, her eyes widened with surprise and delight.

Harry had gone to the garden and collected every flower he could, and then had scattered petals of every magical flower imaginable all over their bed. She slid from the bed and stood beside him, looking around the room. He'd conjured all the vases he needed and they were filled with more flowers.

Harry stood there silently, enjoying the expressions flitting across her face. He didn't often have the chance to surprise Ginny like this, so he was enjoying every second of it. She left his side and wandered back out into the lounge room, where the most incredible sight met her eyes.

Every surface was covered with petals or had a vase of gorgeous flowers on it. The fragrance was gorgeous, lingering subtly in the air, and Ginny's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Oh Harry, this is just beautiful," murmured Ginny, shaking her head in disbelief. "How did you do this in just a few minutes?"

"A little spell I picked up from Anne actually. Amazingly it's called the Duplication Charm." There was laughter in this voice, and Ginny turned to look at him. He was grinning at her shyly, his head to one side, scuffing his shoe on the carpet nervously.

"Ginny, if you don't - " began Harry, until Ginny interrupted him, placing her fingertips on his lips.

"I do," said Ginny, her voice steadfast, clear, with not a trace of nervousness in it.

Harry stood motionless, his heart beating so loud and fast he thought the whole wizarding world could hear it. The effect she had on him was like nothing he'd ever felt before, and he momentarily wondered how he hadn't noticed her for so many years.

Her fingertips remained on his lips and he took advantage of the moment, pressing his lips to them, slowly, sensuously, his eyes never leaving hers. He daringly took the tip of her fingers and gently sucked them, the tension between them building every moment. He brought his right hand up to gently take her fingers from between his lips and kissed the palm of her hand, trailing his lips to her wrist and along the underside of her arm, to the crook of her elbow, his body moving ever so slowly, as if he was a lion pacing around its prey.

He moved behind her and ever so gently moved her hair away from the nape of her neck so he could plant feather-light kisses on her skin.

Ginny shivered with anticipation, allowing Harry to touch her wherever he wanted, her brain slowly being assaulted with sensations she'd almost forgotten existed.

She moaned "Oh Harry," ever so quietly, luxuriating in the feel of him so close to her body, his chest now flat up against her back, his fingertips trailing down her bare arms, snaking across her body, his lips making their way from the nape of her hairline to her bare shoulders and inching downwards to her collarbone.

Ginny's chest heaved with an erratic breath and realised she couldn't hold back anymore. She turned in his arms and kissed him passionately, pushing him backwards into the bedroom.

She tugged his jacket off his shoulders and threw it on the floor, Harry all the while was moving his hands over as much of her body as possible, his hands skimming across her back, hips, reaching the small of her back and sensuous dip where her sexy bottom curved slightly. His hands then made their way up her spine to the zipper which was holding her dress so snugly to her slim, lithe body.

At the same time Ginny was loosening Harry's tie; she unraveled it and threw it on the floor to join the jacket, her nimble fingers deftly undoing the buttons of his shirt, exposing his broad, powerful physique. She sighed to herself. She loved his body. Even with three years of no action and no Quidditch, his body was still firm and well built. She wondered, fleetingly, if he'd done anything to keep fit during the last three years, before her brain kicked back into gear and she was assaulted again by the most incredible sensations spreading like wildfire all over her body.

Instinctively, Ginny pressed her lips to Harry's chest, her hands fanning out, wanting to reacquaint themselves with every nook and cranny of his body. Oh how she had missed this. Missed him.

Harry ever so gently unzipped her bridesmaids dress, moved the straps off her shoulders to expose the bare, creamy flesh that he was just dying to touch and explore. However, he was being completely distracted by what Ginny was doing to him. At that moment, she was removing his shirt and trailing her fingertips everywhere she could reach, and now they had reached the waistband of his trousers. Harry's head fell back; he just wanted to revel in the sensations that were coursing through his body, when he heard quiet laughter coming from Ginny. He looked down to see her twinkling eyes alight with passion and laughter, even as she was kissing every millimetre of his torso.

He suddenly grabbed her and lifted her up, her dress dropping to the floor, leaving her naked except for the lacy g-string and stockings she had worn underneath her dress that day. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clasped him as close as possible, kissing his ears, neck, eyelids, nose, cheeks. She continued the assault, her lips blazing a path to seek out his, sliding her tongue between Harry's lips determinedly, seeking to taste as much of him as possible. Their breathing fast and erratic now, desperate and searching.

"Make love to me Harry," whispered Ginny urgently against his lips.

Harry carried her to the bed and laid her down amongst the petals. He gazed down adoringly at an ethereal vision of pale, luminescent skin, and a beautiful face surrounded by flaming red hair. He reverently removed her shoes, gently peeled off her stockings; he removed his shoes, socks and trousers and moved to lie gently by her side.

For a moment they stared at each other, the moment electrifying in its silence.

Ginny bent her left leg, shifting her body towards Harry. Harry's eyes were roaming all over her body. He brought his fingertips up to tuck her hair off her face, and then to trail from her ear, slowly, inexorably, making their way past her collarbone, to slow down as they reached the crescent of her breast.

Harry glanced at Ginny, whose eyes had never left him, smiled and as light as feather his fingers glanced over her nipple. Her breath caught in her throat. Her body was screaming for release and she desperately wanted him at that very moment, but she closed her eyes as his fingertips trailed across to her other breast, her breath rising and falling fast, the tension between them still building.

"Ginny, you have the most incredible body," whispered Harry, leaning in to whisper in her ear, sending shivers of delight through her body yet again, as his fingers caressed her nipple, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger, thrilling Ginny as she arched her back in response, her breath catching again.

"Harry," Ginny pleaded, not caring how she sounded. She wanted him so badly it was an ache that was undeniable.

Harry was not insensitive to her plea, but at the same time he didn't want to rush this. He wanted their first time to be special. Harry's hand left their ministrations on her nipples and moved inexorably down over her stomach. He caught the lacy fabric of her lingerie in the crook of his finger and gently slid her g-string down her body until it was soon with the rest of the clothes on the floor, which were laying on a carpet of petals. He covered her mouth with his own, and in minutes Ginny had removed Harry's boxers and they were intimately entwined, legs, arms, constantly touching, exploring. Ginny's hands were touching him where he most needed to be touched. He was aching with desire and wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to hold out.

Before her hands could get him too worked up, Harry moved out of her reach, his mouth lavishing attention on her nipples, one at a time. Ginny cried out in frustration as her hand lost contact with his manhood, but her cries were momentarily silenced as Harry's lips worked their way down past her belly button and nuzzled their way to the essence of her womanhood.

With a cry of surprise, Ginny's body arched up in response to Harry's touch. She was nearly out of her mind with passion. They were so close now and she wanted him like she'd never wanted him before. "Harry," she whimpered quietly, begging for release.

Harry raised his head and drew himself up to cover her body completely, his hips pausing at the entrance of heaven for just a moment; they looked deeply into each other's eyes, their breathing heavy and laboured, a sheen of sweat covering both of them and ever so gently, Harry eased into her womanhood, slowly, ever so slowly, so that he didn't hurt her at all.

Ginny's teeth chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, and then the moment passed and pure sensation took over. She and Harry began to move together; somewhat awkwardly at first, learning together, both searching for the right rhythm. As the tension in their bodies built, their breath quickened, movements became faster.

Instinctively Ginny slowed things down. This was too magical to rush, she began to slow the pace, kissing Harry all over his chest, her fingers wandering, her legs wrapping around his back so as to feel him inside her more completely. It all felt so natural; she didn't have to think about what came next. She wondered if all couples experienced this sense of magic the first time.

For a brief moment her brain registered what had happened to her all those months ago, but at the same time is also registered that this was good, safe and that she wasn't in any danger and that knowledge freed her in a way she hadn't expected.

She could feel Harry insider her, moving so tenderly and passionately that she was almost in tears. She instinctively knew that she and Harry were experiencing something special.

Seconds later, Harry began to move more insistently, and Ginny followed suit. They became more frenetic, more desperate and several minutes later they climaxed at the height of their passion and then slumped exhaustedly in each other's arms. They stayed that way for ages, not moving, just letting their breathing come in sync with the other's heartbeat.

Eventually Harry moved gently off Ginny and wrapped her up in his embrace. Not a word was said. There was nothing to say.

The young couple lay in each other's arms, the glow of their lovemaking pure and untouched in the silence of the house. They didn't have to express their feelings out loud to each other; they knew what the other was feeling.

Unconditional love. Forever.


	31. New Beginnings

**Chapter 31  
New Beginnings**

ooOOoo

Harry and Ginny were tired. 

After making love the night before for the first time, the young lovers continued to explore and experiment for the rest of the night, and didn't fall asleep until dawn peeked over the horizon and shone through their bedroom window; Harry and Ginny blissfully ignored the shining sun and slept until noon. They woke, intimately entwined, completely wrapped around each other. 

Harry opened his eyes, momentarily blank about where he was; until he saw Ginny lying in his arms. He smiled and kissed her hair gently. Her eyes opened slowly and as she realised where she was, she grinned like the Cheshire Cat and raised herself up on her elbow, only to slide her body over Harry's so that she covered his completely, resting her chin on her hands that were clasped together in the middle of Harry's chest. 

"Morning Harry." 

"Morning Ginny." 

Neither said anything for a moment, they just lay there smiling at each other. Ginny was the first to crack though, giggling and tucking her head into his shoulder. Harry's arms came up to hold her even closer. 

"So… Harry?" asked Ginny tentatively, her words slightly muffled from her face being tucked away. 

"Mmm," murmured Harry in reply, smiling at the tone of her voice. 

"Do you think anyone will be able to tell?" She lifted her head to look at him shyly, her hair completely mussed and all over the place. 

"Tell what?" asked Harry confused, before comprehension suddenly dawned on him. "Oh, that." 

"Well, did you know when Ron and Hermione had done it the first time?" 

"Actually, no. It took me a couple of weeks to figure it out." Harry looked a little ashamed. "I guess I'm not very good at reading the signals when it comes to stuff like that." Harry was blushing; Ginny laughing quietly at him. 

"Well, I thought you did a pretty good job last night of reading my signals," whispered Ginny suggestively, bending her head to begin trailing kisses over his chest. 

"I guess I did," replied Harry softly, his brain having just kicked into top gear now that Ginny was kissing him again. "Now listen you little vixen," growled Harry as he displaced Ginny and trapped her beneath him in a flash. 

"Me, a vixen?" Ginny laughed. And then to stop her from kissing him, Harry began tickling Ginny in the places where she was most ticklish. 

"Oh no! Harry!" cried Ginny, trying to squirm away from his hands that were unrelentingly tickling her everywhere. "Harry stop it! Stop it right now!" Ginny squealed and tried to get away when they heard a noise. 

"What was that?" asked Harry suddenly. 

"Oh you don't think Ron's home already do you?" surmised Ginny. 

"Well, they were both due back at work today. What time is it?" Harry had absolutely no idea what time it was - he'd lost track since they'd left Hogwarts last night. 

Ginny glanced at the clock beside their bed. "Oh good lord!" cried Ginny. "It's almost one o'clock!" Ginny looked back at Harry. "Are we supposed to be anywhere today?" She looked panicked. 

"I don't think so, but if that clock is right, then it might be Ron home for lunch!" said Harry leaping out of bed, grabbing his glasses and some clothes out of the closet, for both of them. 

They dressed hurriedly and quietly, cautiously opened the bedroom door and peeked out into the hallway. It sounded like someone was moving about in the kitchen. They both moved into the hallway, Ginny suddenly stopping, covering her mouth with her hand in horror. 

"What?" whispered Harry, looking concerned. 

"I have to brush my hair Harry… what if someone sees me looking like this? It'll be a dead giveaway!" Before he could respond, Ginny had dashed down the hallway to the bathroom. 

Harry left her to it and proceeded to the kitchen. He was starving and needed food. 

"Morning Harry," said a voice from the lounge room, not the kitchen, that wasn't Ron's. 

Harry changed direction and walked into the lounge room to find Sirius sitting in one of the armchairs, his elbows resting on his knees, his head bowed. 

"Hi Sirius. What are you doing here?" asked Harry, worried that his godfather would know just what he'd been up to the night before. But as Harry looked at Sirius, he realised his personal indiscretions weren't on Sirius's mind right at that moment. "On no, please don't tell me there's another disaster that I need to take care of, please Sirius." Harry was half serious and half joking, waiting for a response from Sirius. 

"Not a disaster Harry. Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you, just showing up here unannounced." Here Sirius paused running both hands through his hair, which, now that Harry was looking at him closely, Harry realised was messier than usual. "I can't find Remus." 

ooOOoo

_Very early hours of the morning…_

Although it was freezing cold, Remus ignored the wind biting at his clothes and skin. He didn't care. He had been running for hours and hadn't reached the top yet, and he didn't intend on stopping until he did. 

Remus had taken up running when he'd fled after James and Lily had been murdered. It was a very muggle thing to do, he'd realised, but it had allowed him to escape the wizarding world for many years, and by jogging through the muggle world, he often felt a sense of freedom that, at the time, he hadn't been able to get in his own world. 

And he knew if he'd gone home that Sirius would eventually turn up and want an explanation and Remus knew he didn't have one to give. 

He'd shed his cloak and top layer of clothes at the base of the mountain, before he started running. After transforming his good shoes into a pair of runners, and hiding his clothes where he could find them again, he'd set off at a light jogging pace. 

Although he hadn't done any jogging for about a year now, it was surprising how quickly he got into the rhythm again, and this rocky terrain and the wilderness was certainly a challenge to his equilibrium and endurance. Every half hour he stopped for a breather and stretched out his limbs. 

He knew that Sirius would be worried about where he was, but for once Remus actually didn't stop to consider the ramifications when he took off. He just needed to be away from everyone; and exhaust himself to the point where he simply couldn't move and couldn't think about anything but the pain of his limbs anymore. 

He currently was struggling up an incline to what he hoped would be the highest point around for a few hundred kilometres at least. He grabbed a branch of a tree as he passed, for support, and then finally he crested and came to a stop. 

The view was breathtaking, and though it was the middle of the night, the gorgeous day that they'd had for the wedding had given way to a clear evening with stars shining brightly. And this high up in the mountains, even with wind draughts coming from all directions, Remus was still sweating considerably. 

Of course the best thing about being a wizard in this type of situation, was that he could just Apparate back to where he started, instead of having to climb back down again. 

However, though it was the middle of the night, he wasn't ready to leave just yet. He checked his watch. It was a little after 4.00am. He knew that no one would be able to find him. No one in the whole world would ever think to look for Remus in the mountains behind Hogwarts. He'd told no one about this place. Not even Sirius. 

And all he needed was a shower and he'd be ready for the first day of school at Hogwarts; ready for his first class of the school year, just a few hours from now. 

Remus sat down, ignoring the cold and the chills he was experiencing. He was prepared to put up with just about anything to avoid thinking about Tonks. He knew he was running away from the issue, but he really didn't know how else to deal with the situation. 

And as Remus sat there thinking, he realised how hypocritical his thinking had become. He was always telling Sirius to be more open, to think more clearly, be more rational; and here he was, being the complete opposite of the things he was usually a model of. 

Remus hung his head, shaking it. He was still stunned at his own admission that he'd fallen in love with Tonks. It didn't, on the face of it, seem logical or rational, but hadn't it been Molly who'd said something about there being no logic when it came to love? 

He'd watched from afar, secretly thrilled to see Sirius's true character unfold again, to mature like he'd never been given the chance to do earlier in his life, to watch him and Anne together. It was the closest thing to having Lily and James back in his life. And to see Harry and Ginny so happy together, and now that Ron and Hermione were married, everything in his world seemed perfect. 

Except for Tonks. Not that she wasn't perfect. Remus caught himself. _'Stop thinking about it!'_

**'Maybe it's time you did think about it!'** came the little voice inside his head, which was always there these days - niggling at him. 

_'I can't help the way she feels.'_

**'Or the way you feel don't you mean?'**

_'Can't you leave me alone?'_

**'No, I'm your conscience. It's not my job to leave you alone.'** came back the reply. **'And by the way, you can do something about this you know!'**

_'Like what?'_ Remus thought to himself. 

**'Like give in to it. What possible harm can come to you?'**

_'You're kidding right?'_ Remus was clutching at his head, as if holding it tighter was going to stop the voice inside his head. 

**'Not at all. Let's face it. The worst thing that could happen to you is that you'll get your heart broken for the second time in your life. What's so bad about that? It's gotta be better than fighting another Dark Wizard isn't it?'**

_'Yes, there's no problem with getting my heart broken again, except that I don't think I'd survive it.'_

**'Which only proves your feelings for her doesn't it? Why is it so hard for you to accept that any woman could fall in love with you?'**

_'It's a little more complicated…'_

**'No it's not actually. Your problem is that you think that this is the same as the first time, and you know it isn't. This isn't a reprise of your childhood Remus. She isn't a Slytherin for one and secondly, you know her better than that. She's not that shallow and you know it.'**

The voice in his head was blissfully silent for at least a minute. 

**'And bloody hell. It's time you took a chance on something!'**

The voice inside his head was insistent now. _'I take chances all the time,'_ thought Remus. 

**'Bollocks! You have never taken a chance on love Remus, not since Hogwarts. This isn't the first time a woman has been interested in you over the years, and yes you've had reasons in the past for not placing your trust in anyone, male or female, but it's time now. You know it, I know it. Tonks knows it. Let go of the fear inside you Remus.'**

There was more silence in his head. Remus looked up into the night sky, thinking. His conscience was making a lot of sense, actually. "What? No more words of wisdom?" Remus spoke out loud this time. It wasn't as if anyone could hear him. 

Silence greeted him. 

He sat there for a few more hours, watching the sky change colours as dawn approached, before he finally stood up and stretched out his back. He looked around one more time, checked his watch and then Apparated back to where he'd left his formal wedding clothes; he changed and then walked back to the main gates of Hogwarts. He had just enough time to go to his rooms in Hogwarts - the elves would have unpacked the trunk he'd bought up earlier in the day, before the wedding had begun - have a shower and get down to the Great Hall for breakfast with the students. 

A feeling of contentment came over Remus as he walked into his Professorial quarters; forgetting that he hadn't told Sirius that he was back at school teaching in the morning. 

ooOOoo

"What do you mean, you can't find him?" asked Harry. "Didn't he leave with you and Anne last night?" 

"Nope, he left just after you actually," said Sirius soberly. 

Harry thought for a moment. "Well…" Harry couldn't imagine what could have happened. "Did anything happen to upset him? What's happening with Tonks? Could it have something to do with all that?" 

"That's precisely what it's all about," grumbled Sirius. 

"Really?" asked Harry with eyes wide and questioning. "What's happening?" 

Sirius groaned, not wanting to go into it all over again. He'd spent half the night with Tonks and Molly and Arthur, discussing it in great detail. Anne, God bless her, had stayed with him the whole time, not the least bit fazed by what was happening. He smiled for a brief moment, thinking how lucky he was. 

"What was the smile for?" asked Harry. "How are things going with my godmother? Well, I hope!" 

Sirius didn't respond immediately; he just looked up at Harry, blushing, completely unable to help himself. "Don't you be cheeky, now." 

"Who me? Never!" cried Harry, enjoying the opportunity to tease Sirius. "So what's happening with Tonks and Remus?" 

"Take a seat and I'll tell you everything," replied Sirius resignedly. 

"Actually Sirius, Ginny and I haven't eaten since dinner last night, and I'm starving, can we do this in the kitchen?" 

So, as they wandered into the little kitchen Ginny emerged from the, Sirius filled Harry in, and Ginny too when she emerged from the bathroom, her hair freshly brushed, on what had happened the evening before. 

"Sirius, you did remember that today is the first day of classes at Hogwarts, didn't you?" asked Ginny suddenly. "He probably slept at the castle last night and is in class right now, teaching. 

The look on Sirius's face was such a Kodak moment. He groaned, placing his head on the kitchen bench. Ginny and Harry just looked at him for a moment before bursting out laughing. 

It was a good start to the day. 

ooOOoo

"So were you even going to send me an owl?  
"   
Sirius had decided to go to Hogwarts, just to make sure that that was where Remus was, as opposed to anywhere else. 

"Yes, in my lunch break Sirius." 

Remus was trying to calm Sirius down. Remus hadn't given anyone else a second thought since he'd got back early this morning. None of the staff knew that he'd been out last night, no one saw him come back, and he was dressed and down to breakfast with the staff and students with no one else the wiser to his activities, except maybe Dumbledore, who'd given him a look of curiosity as he approached the staff table that morning. 

And now Sirius had shown up in his classroom, completely furious and frazzled. Having to contend with an irate Sirius in his office, above the classroom, whilst his students were supposedly working, was an interesting situation to be in. Remus cursed himself inwardly for not sending Sirius an owl before he sat down to breakfast. 

"Where the hell were you?" 

"Out," came the non-committal reply from Remus. 

"Where?" 

"What are you? My mother?" replied Remus, keeping himself calm, his voice even. 

"I'm your best friend and I was worried about you!" cried Sirius. 

Remus, in an attempt to pacify his longest and dearest friend, took a deep breath; it suddenly occurred to him that Sirius's reaction was quite justified. "Sirius, I'm sorry I didn't contact you last night. I'm sorry you were worried about me. I'm just… sorry. I honestly didn't give it a thought. I took off and the whole point of that was to block everything else out of my head." Remus paused for a moment. "At least until you showed up a few minutes ago." Remus smiled wryly, and after a moment Sirius grinned and caught his dear friend in a warm embrace. 

"I'm sorry for being irrational about it," apologised Sirius, letting Remus go. "I just couldn't think of where the hell you were. And it wasn't until I turned up at Harry's this morning, that Ginny reminded me that school started today. Believe me when I say I felt like a right idiot." Sirius ran his hand through his already wild hair. "I just… I think what happened in Australia kicked my senses back into war mode. All I knew in my head was that you hadn't come home, your bed hadn't been slept in, no one I asked had seen you, and I…" his voice trailed off, "… I just immediately thought the worst. I thought something had happened." Sirius paused, looking a little uncomfortable, before saying, "you realise that you and Harry are the only family I've got right?" 

Remus, immediately feeling guilty for not being more considerate, replied cautiously. "So how many people know I was missing for the whole night?" asked Remus curiously, wondering how many people he was going to have to explain his absence to. 

Sirius thought for a moment. "Actually, it's only Harry and Ginny. Though I spent the night alternately waiting for you to show up at Lupin Lodge, and then going to all the places I thought you might have gone without waking anyone or arousing suspicion, and then I just kept checking back at Lupin Lodge in case you'd turned up in my absence." Sirius kept to himself that he'd sat up with Arthur, Molly and Tonks for many hours prior to his decision to search for Remus. He hadn't let them know how worried he'd become. 

"Sirius, did you get any sleep?" an incredulous Remus asked, worried about his actions now, in retrospect. 

"No," Sirius replied candidly. "But I have no plans today either, so I'm not worried, and no one else knows you were gone all night, except Anne of course." Here Sirius smiled slightly, pausing before looking his friend dead on. "Are you going to talk to me about this now? Or are you just going to avoid the issue." Remus raised his eyebrows at his. "I know," said Sirius a little sourly, "I'm the king of avoidance, but we can't both have the title. It's either you or me!" Sirius tried to smile, but his mouth didn't quite make it all the way there when he saw the look on Remus's face. 

"Sirius, I don't want to talk about it. And that's hard for me to say to you. You know it is," responded Remus quietly, his eyes never leaving Sirius's. 

"I know this is hard for you Remus. I remember what happened last time. I was there!" 

"Yes, making my humiliation all the more - " Remus stopped himself, before he said too much. "Nevermind." 

Sirius hated bringing up his past like this, but Remus needed to get over it and move past it. "You can't let that haunt you all your life Remus." 

Remus looked into his friends eyes. They were blue, clear and were free of past hurts for the first time ever, it seemed. "I know, Sirius, and…" he eyes glanced at the clock on the wall. "You realise I have a room full of students and I'm going now," said Remus smiling at his friend, deftly changing the subject. 

"You're not getting out it if that eas - " started Sirius. 

"Yes, I am Sirius. I'll pop home after my last class. We'll talk then, but not now." 

Sirius knew when he was beaten - at least for the moment. "Don't run off again, or I swear I will hunt you down with a team of Auror's." 

Remus inclined his head in agreement, and then he and Sirius exited his office. As they opened the door to the classroom, there was a single movement of heads from their direction back to his students' books. 

"It's good to see that you are all so studious on the first day," remarked Remus, sounding very professorial. "Maybe if you're very good this term, I'll invite Mr Black back here officially to do some duelling with you. How would you all like that?" Remus knew that his students would love this suggestion. 

"Wicked!" remarked a red headed boy, that reminded both Sirius and Remus of Ron. 

"Excellent!" cried another student. 

There was much excited chatter for a full minute, as Remus walked Sirius to the door and bade him goodbye. Then Remus turned his full attention to his class of third years again. 

He wasn't looking forward to the end of the day, though. 

ooOOoo

_Neville Longbottom's home, after lunch…_

"Are you sure about this Ginny?" 

Harry and Ginny were outside Neville's home, where he'd lived with his parents and then his grandmother. Harry was still unsure about this, and the only reason he wasn't putting his foot down about this course of action was because he really sensed that Ginny was free of the horrors of the past three years. She hadn't had a nightmare for two nights now, which was a good sign. That hadn't happened since he'd found her, so he knew that everything was on its way to healing, but the cautious part of his nature was still a little worried. 

"Yes, Harry. It's the right thing to do," replied Ginny sincerely, tilting her head up at her boyfriend. "I need to do this, and I think Mrs Longbottom will appreciate the gesture. I just hope she's forgiven me over the years." 

"Ginny," here Harry paused, his hand touching her arm lightly, stopping her. "She never blamed you, you know. She told me that herself." 

Ginny looked as though she wasn't ready to believe him, but just nodded and entwined her fingers with his and together they walked to the front door of Neville Longbottom's home, and knocked. 

ooOOoo

_A few hours later…_

"It was so good of you to come Ginny," said Mrs Longbottom quietly, taking Ginny's hand and patting it gently, in a comforting gesture. She looked at the two young people before her; so good, kind, so honorable. "Neville would be grateful that you took the time to come and visit. I know he'll be pleased about that." 

"It's the least I could do," Ginny replied seriously, her bottom lip trembling. It had been an emotional couple of hours for her. Ginny had told Mrs Longbottom the whole story from the day she left, to her return home only omitting the attack in New York. 

Neville had been buried beneath the large oak tree at the bottom of the garden of his family home. It had been hard to see the reality of the gravestone, but with Harry being so incredibly supportive, she managed to get through it. 

The hardest thing of all, strangely, was accepting that Mrs Longbottom had already forgiven her for what she'd done; that she felt no anger towards Ginny, that she hadn't blamed her for what happened. 

"Now, dear child, don't you fret over it. Don't carry the burden anymore. It's time for you to live your life to the fullest. That's what Neville would have wanted you to do; not feel guilty over something that wasn't even your fault." Mrs Longbottom paused for a moment, then took Ginny in her arms. 

Harry stood back; his eyes moist with emotion. Though he hadn't wanted Ginny to do this so soon, he could see that what it was doing for both women, from a healing point of view, was valuable. But it was also hard to see her get upset like this. _'I don't want Ginny to cry ever again!'_ thought Harry determinedly, knowing full well it was an impossible thing to wish for… but, not if he could help it. 

Mrs Longbottom let Ginny go, framing her face with her old, knarled hands. "You go and live the life you should have been living the last three years Ginny Weasley. It's your time now. Don't dwell on Neville. I know he'll always be in your heart and I know his friends won't ever forget him. But he's at peace, he died bravely and wasn't afraid - I know it. And I couldn't have asked for anything more from him." 

Mrs Longbottom dropped her hands and smiled serenely at Ginny. She was a woman who had come to terms with her grandson's death a long time ago, and was still looking after her son, Frank, and daughter-in-law, Alice, who were still in St Mungo's. 

"Thanks Mrs Longbottom," stepped in Harry, while Ginny was collecting herself. 

"Oh now, none of that 'Mrs' business Harry Potter," said Mrs Longbottom firmly, "you young ones can call me Granny Longbottom if you like. I think Neville would have liked that, don't you think?" 

"Yeah, that would be great," replied Harry, smiling. "You take care Granny Longbottom and we will come back to visit, we promise." 

"And Ginny," added Granny Longbottom, "you come and visit Neville whenever you want, as often as you need to. You don't need to come and knock on the front door. You just Apparate straight to the garden; stay as long as you want, see me, don't see me. You just do what you need to do," she finished kindly. 

Ginny was feeling overwhelmed again. She nodded silently, not trusting herself to speak again. Harry took her hand and with a wave to Granny Longbottom, they set off down the road. 

ooOOoo

Ginny and Harry arrived home to Hedwig waiting impatiently for him; with a message. Harry put Ginny to bed; she was wrung out and needed more sleep. Whilst she was sleeping, Harry open the letter that had been delivered. It was from Hermione. 

_Dear Ginny and Harry, _

I hope you've had a relaxing day, after such a **busy** couple of days. At least you got the chance to sleep in today, unlike me and Ron. Never mind, I had a great first day, but I must say I'm looking forward to going on a proper honeymoon with Ron, next term break. 

Anyhow, I was just wondering if you two wanted to come and have dinner with Ron and I tonight? I've asked permission from Dumbledore of course, and I thought we'd have it in my Professors Quarters - that way we won't be announcing that you're back Harry or that we've found you, Ginny. We certainly want to keep that secret from everyone, even the staff and students at Hogwarts, for as long as possible. 

Now, I was thinking that you could enter via the Shrieking Shack and Ron and I would meet you both at the Whomping Willow at 7.00pm. Is that okay with you? Just let me know by return owl. 

Now, I know you're wondering how Hedwig came to deliver this message, right? Well, I think she actually misses Hogwarts and the owls here. I think she was just visiting and when I went up to The Owlery to send you this message, I saw Hedwig, who came straight over to me. She's still the cleverest owl I know, Harry. 

Let me know as soon as possible okay? If you send the reply to me c/- The Charms Classroom, Hogwarts, it should get to me directly instead of to my private quarters. 

Hope to see you both soon. 

Love Hermione 

Harry summoned a quill and ink, and proceeded to write a reply. He knew that Ginny would appreciate some time with Ron and Hermione after her visit to Granny Longbottom. 

**Dear Professor Weasley, **

Okay, firstly, that just sounds weird. I'm not used to that title yet, Hermione. 

Thanks for the invite and yes, we'll definitely be there at 7.00pm. I'll bring the Invisibility Cloak just to be on the safe side. 

Ginny and I went to visit Neville's grandmother today, and though it went well, Ginny is now asleep (she's pretty tired and a little wrung out after the visit). Mrs Longbottom, or Granny Longbottom as she'd like Neville's friends to call her, was wonderful. She was so generous and not nearly as stern as I remember her, but I think it did both her and Ginny the world of good. 

I'll let Ginny tell you the rest tonight. She is fine though Hermione, so don't spend the next few hours worrying. 

See you at the Whomping Willow at 7.00pm 

Love Harry 

Harry gave the message to Hedwig, explaining to her what was going on. "Hedwig, could you take that to Hermione and if you want to stay with her, I'll see you tonight, okay? I'm going to Hogwarts tonight to visit Hermione." 

Hedwig inclined her at Harry as if she really knew what he was saying. Harry stroked her feathers gently. She had been a wonderful companion during his years at Hogwarts and it was good to be home with her again. 

He went to the window, undid the latch and watched as Hedwig flew off into the bright, afternoon sunshine, then he turned and wandered outside to the back garden, leaving Ginny to sleep peacefully. 


	32. Dangerous Considerations

**

Chapter 32  
Dangerous Considerations  


**   
ooOOoo

Two weeks after the wedding, Ginny and Harry were back in Australia with Emily and the boys. Sirius and Anne had stayed behind a little longer, Anne having got a leave of absence from her 'jobs' in Melbourne. 

It had been great to be back home in England, but it hadn't exactly been smooth sailing either. 

Ginny had gathered her family together to tell them of the rape. Included in this group was also Sirius, Anne, Emily, the boys from Australia and Remus. The only other person who knew outside this tight-knit group was Professor Dumbledore. 

After the expected reactions had been dealt with, everyone had calmed down and listened to Ginny as she'd explained how she had been dealing with everything since Harry had found her. Her brothers' respect level went up several notches for their baby sister; they were simply amazed at how she had handled everything. 

Molly and Arthur were obviously the most horrified and Harry had left Ginny to spend some 'alone' time with them. As much as Harry knew he was family, he also respected that this was something that each of her siblings and her parents now needed to work through, with her, regarding their _own_ issues about what had happened to her. 

All in all it had been a good thing for Ginny to do. Though she still had to tell them about going back to Australia to study. 

So over the days that had followed on from the 'announcement', Ginny had spoken to her parents first and then to the rest of her family in turn about her decision to go back to Melbourne to study music. They were all incredibly resistant at first, but in time Ginny made them realise that this was her decision, and hers alone, and that there wasn't anything to be discussed. With promises of frequent visits from family to Australia and vice versa, everyone soon came to accept that Ginny was going to leave… again. This time with a farewell party organised by Fred and George. They'd decided that a proper party would be good for everyone - a celebration of everything, a step towards the future. 

The other thing that they'd dealt with before returning to Australia was the Daily Prophet, who despite the protective wards over so many individual areas, had still managed to find out that Harry had returned home, and that he'd found Ginny too. 

Harry's thinking had been that if he was still putting advertisements in papers all across the wizarding world, that everyone would think he was still out looking for Ginny, but with Ron and Hermione's wedding at the start of the school year, it seemed the press wasn't buying it and had begun snooping. 

And once they'd found him, they'd found Ginny as well. Harry had made short work of the press by inviting Colin Creevey, who had turned his passion for photography into a career, to do a 'world exclusive' on him and Ginny. After speaking to Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus and Arthur for advice on how to handle the press and what to say or what _not_ to say, Ginny and Harry had decided to just get it over with. Once the news was out, everyone's questions would be answered and they'd be left alone for the duration of their stay. Omitted from the press details were the incident in New York and the fact that Ginny was going back to complete her music degree in Australia. Colin Creevey knew she was going back to Australia, but they trusted him implicitly. 

And sure enough, there wasn't a hint of anything about her studies in the article; Colin had been true to his word. 

So mid September found the Australian contingent back in Australia, and back to their studies. 

ooOOoo

Emily rolled over onto her stomach trying to wake up and remember where she was. _'Oh yeah'_ she thought to herself, _'I'm home again._' It was taking her a while to get used to being back in Australia again, although she wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps it was because England, strangely enough, had also felt like home to her. 

Nonetheless, they were back. Emily, the boys and Ginny still had to finish their studies. Once school was finished for the year, they were all going back to England together for a long, well deserved holiday. 

On their return to university, Ginny, Harry and Emily had done some 're-working' of their dorm room, so that from the main doorway it looked as if nothing had changed, but they had, in fact, turned the 'bedroom' into a hallway that led to two larger bedrooms. 

Obviously Harry and Ginny were using one bedroom and Emily the other. It just made more sense in terms of privacy. They had all considered moving somewhere 'off-campus', but they thought that if the boys as well as Ginny and Emily suddenly moved away before the end of the Australian school year, it might arouse suspicion and they had already decided that Fred, Shane and Phil's parents and family weren't to know _anything_ about what had gone on that year (including the other students and teachers); so the re-modelling of the dorm room had been the best solution. And next year it wouldn't be an issue as there would only be Ginny attending school and she wouldn't be the new girl anymore, so it didn't really matter where she lived. 

From the hallway, Emily peered across into the other bedroom. She could tell from the open door that Ginny had left early for a full day of classes. Ginny also had make up classes and exams due to her extended absence the previous semester. 

Emily sat up and got out of bed, ready to start the day. 

ooOOoo

From the kitchen, Harry could hear Emily moving. He hadn't really got to know Emily and the boys as students, so he couldn't help but be impressed with how hard they had all worked, day and night, to catch up with their studies and get back on track. It was nothing like his own experience at Hogwarts, which had been fraught with adventures and danger to interrupt his studies. 

He smiled to himself as he wrote. 

He was sitting at the small kitchen table that doubled as a desk when the girls needed to spread out with their homework. The table was in the corner of the room, near the window. There was a little sink and a small stove and a few appliances. 

He smiled as Emily walked, very sleepily, out of her bedroom and into the lounge room, looking bemused. He knew she'd been up late the night before studying and completing assignments, so he'd kept very quiet that morning so as not to wake her. 

"Morning," yawned Emily sleepily. 

Harry smiled as he kept writing. "Morning Emily." 

Emily fumbled around the kitchenette toasting herself some bread and joining Harry at the kitchen table. 

"What ya doing?" she asked between mouthfuls 

Harry blushed… and mumbled something incoherent. 

"What was that Harry?" Emily asked again cheekily, leaning in closer, not quite catching what he'd said, her hand placed behind her ear. She knew that Harry was _very_ easy to tease and their friendship had grown to the point where she felt comfortable joining in with the bantering and teasing of Harry, along with the Weasley's. 

"It's just something for Ginny," said Harry nervously. He looked at Emily, suddenly very intense. "Actually, could you take a look at this for me?" he continued, pushing the piece of paper over to her. "Do you remember what I said at the wedding?" he asked while Emily was reading. 

"Yeah, sure I do," replied Emily casually, taking the piece of paper from Harry, curiosity building. "You were trying to think of how best to express your feelings…" 

Harry watched the expression on Emily's face change and her voice fade to nothing as she read and then re-read what Harry had written. They were lyrics to a song he'd written himself. She looked up at him, surprise and delight in her expression. "This is really…" she didn't get to finish what she was saying before Harry interrupted her. 

"And now I don't know what to do next," said Harry quietly. "I just don't have any experience…" his voice faltered. 

Emily looked at him carefully. For someone who had saved so many people, had been so brave, incredibly resilient and tough, he was also fragile and very human. 

"Well, I don't know about that Harry, but I understand what you mean." 

"Do you? I just really need her to know how much I…," Harry paused for a moment. "Can you help me?" 

"With what?" Emily was momentarily confused, and then she realised what he was asking. "You want me to write the music for it?" she asked eagerly; and as Harry nodded affirmatively, she squealed and clapped her hands together. "Excellent, I've already got a tune running through my brain," she said smiling. 

"You have?" asked Harry bewildered. 

"Yeah, it just happens when I'm reading new lyrics. Not the first time I read it, because I didn't know what I was reading, but the second time through…" she paused looking a little sheepish, "I don't really understand why it happens that way - it just does. For me anyway." She stopped for a moment to consider him carefully. "Now Harry, how long have I got to get this done? ASAP?" 

"Well, I'd like you to play it for her when we have our Christmas party at The Burrow. But whatever you do, _don't_ let her know what you're doing. I want this to be a surprise." 

"Okay, I promise," she shot out quickly. She drew breath to ask him another question, then paused. She had the oddest feeling that there was more to this then he was letting on. Emily restrained herself, something she wasn't famed for, and resisted questioning Harry any further. 

Instead she stood up, finished her toast and then headed for her bedroom. "I've got to go get the boys. We've got the whole day free and we're all really up to date with our schoolwork and we were going to just jam for a while this afternoon. Now we can do this," her eyes gleamed in anticipation. "Is that okay Harry? You don't mind the boys helping do you?" she looked at him, a little worried. 

"No, that's fine. I was going to ask you about them anyway because I was going to ask Fred if he could perhaps sing it for me… or you," said Harry. 

"Sure, no worries," called out Emily from her bedroom. 

"Are you sure? I mean, I know how busy you all are at the moment. I kinda feel guilty about giving you something else to do on top of all your school work. You're bogged down enough as it is," he spoke slowly, but he couldn't quite hide the hope in his voice. 

"Nah, we're okay!" Emily exclaimed. "They'll love to help!" Emily continued excitedly coming back into the lounge room. "Harry, Ginny is the closest thing I have to a sister. _Anyway_ writing lyrics or music isn't work to me, it's an outlet… I need to do it to keep me sane." Emily moved to get up from the table. "Now… I'm going to wake the boys up; how about we meet back here in about half an hour?" she asked, and when she got an affirmative nod from Harry she went on. "See ya soon," she said, excitement bubbling over, and not waiting for a response left their dorm room quickly. 

ooOOoo

As Spring inched towards Summer in Melbourne, Emily, Ginny and the boys studied hard, worked hard and played hard as well. What with classes, part-time jobs and gigs at the pub, late night study groups and spending time with each other socially, their calendars were full. 

In the meantime, Harry hadn't returned to work, as such, being in Melbourne, but when Sirius and Anne returned, he had gone in to the Ministry of Magic and spent a lot of time with the MLES. There were subtle differences in their abilities and training and it was quite something for the local wizards to train with the great Harry Potter. 

And for Harry, it was a way to get 'back in the game' so-to-speak; refresh his own skills, get back into teaching, which he hadn't really done since Dumbledore's Army many years ago, and to learn some new stuff from the members of the Australian MLES department. 

Combine that with the specialised stuff that Anne was teaching him, and Harry felt like he was back at school again, which was nice given that Ginny was also studying. 

Before they knew it, it was November and Emily, Fred, Phil and Shane were taking their final exams - ever - and Ginny was preparing for her first set of end of year exams. The time just seemed to be flying by and the gang were already beginning to think about their plans for Christmas. 

ooOOoo

_Mid November - a week before everyone returns to England for the holidays…_

Ron wandered through Diagon Alley, hunkering deeper into his cloak and wrapping it around himself tightly. _'I should have worn a scarf today,_ Ron thought to himself. He was winding through the crowd to Weasley Wizards Wheezes to meet with the twins. 

Their note had sounded urgent and off kilter for the twins. Ron had replied immediately when he'd be able to make it, but was already wondering what was wrong. 

He pushed open the door and headed straight behind the counter, nodding and greeting the witch who was working there today. He continued past her and opened the door, which swung out into a corridor, which lead past several other doors, which held their stock and amenities, and ended in a large, open spaced, circular room. 

He could see the twins huddled close together on the couch, whispering and looking very serious indeed. 

"Ron!" cried George. "Thanks for coming." 

"Sure. What's up?" 

"Well, take a seat for starters. Have you had lunch yet?" enquired Fred, very business like. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, and since when have you ever offered me anything?" quipped Ron, eyebrows waggling. 

"Never mind that, we wanted to talk to you about Ginny," said Fred. 

"What's happened?" Ron felt frantic instantly. 

"Nothing, she's fine Ron. Sorry to hit the hot button on that score. Ginny's fine, but with the whole Aussie gang due back here next week, we've been doing some thinking and we need to talk to you about the rape." Fred was speaking rather clinically, which was unlike him. Both twins were normally so engaged and emotional on many levels, so it was always a shock to see their usual easygoing demeanour drop so quickly. 

At the mention of the rape, Ron paled visibly. As much as Ginny had seemingly come to terms with everything, it still sat at the back his mind, like a burr under a horses saddle - ever niggling. 

"Why?" Ron's tongue felt like it was stuck. His brain just didn't like the word and thinking of his baby sister in that awful situation. 

The twins glanced at each other, Fred nodding to George. George looked across at Ron. 

"We want revenge," he said simply, like he was asking for a new wand at Ollivander's. 

"Revenge?" Ron looked confused. 

"On the guy who did that to her," said Fred. 

"But - " Ron began, looking confused. 

"We know what you're going to say, Ron," started Fred. 

"And we've already figured out a way to find him," George continued. "Which is where our muggle friends come in." 

"Plus a little trans-Atlantic hopping over to New York, naturally," Fred added for good measure. 

Now Ron was a reasonably intelligent young man, but he looked like he'd just finished his NEWTs on Transfiguration and was having trouble processing the english language. 

George explained everything, patiently. "We want revenge on the guy who raped Ginny, and with some help from our Australian muggle friends, we think we can find him and exact a measure of justice." 

Fred continued on. "We aren't talking about wizard justice either, Ron. We're not talking about the Unforgivables. Not at all." 

"But we do want him punished," added George. "Maybe Ginny has moved on, but after what Harry said about how he felt; well, I feel the same. I just want to kill the guy, but I'll settle for simple muggle justice instead." 

Ron just looked at them. "But what about Ginny? Do you know what this could do to her, bringing it all up again?" 

"Ginny won't have anything to do with this Ron. The girls won't know anything. We're doing this on our own," replied Fred grimly. 

"Ha! Good luck trying to keep something from the Weasley women! They can smell a mystery with us from miles off!" retorted Ron. 

"We know. But we'll just have to do our best. The main thing is not to let Ginny find out – under any circumstances. Agreed?" said George adamantly. 

All three nodded their heads, the twins sighing with relief. They'd been worried they wouldn't have Ron's support, but the second that Ginny had told them what had happened to her, they'd immediately felt this way, and months later that feeling hadn't changed. 

"You realise, of course," said Ron quietly, looking at his twin brothers with a wisdom that he was unaccustomed to feeling, "that even if we succeed, it might not change how we feel right now." 

The twins looked at their younger brother, impressed with his insight, and simply nodded their heads. They knew it, but they also just couldn't let it go. They knew they wouldn't have closure otherwise. 

"So, with your blessing little brother, here is our plan," began Fred, his face a determined mask. 

ooOOoo

_Last week of November…_

"Have you finished packing yet Emily?" called Ginny from her bedroom. 

"Almost!" cried out Emily, who was frantically chucking things into her school trunk willy nilly. They'd sat for their final exams the day before, finishing the day off with their usual Friday night gig, followed by an 'after' party, celebrating the last day of university for Emily, Fred, Phil and Shane, who had now completed three years of uni and were looking forward to some serious time off over the Christmas period. 

And despite the late night, or more accurately early morning, everyone had arranged to meet early so that they could walk to the station together to catch the train to Anne's place, where they would have lunch before portkeying to England. And though this wasn't the usual protocol, Ginny had a feeling that with Harry's status as a hero and all the attention that had been on her recently, that the rules were being bent somewhat in regards to their muggle friends and their travelling plans to and from England. 

Ginny was feeling exhausted from the pace of this last semester, but at the same time, she was feeling a sense of peace that she hadn't felt… for many years. 

Harry snuck up behind her and kissed her neck lovingly before disappearing back out into the lounge room. Ginny smiled as she finished packing her Hogwarts trunk. The intimacy that she and Harry shared still felt new, though it had been months since 'that night'. And despite past events, Ginny felt as though she had healed and come to terms with everything that had transpired in the last three years. It would always be an awful memory, but the love and support of her family had, in a small way, helped her heal. And Harry had been incredible, and her family had followed his lead and calmed down and they had slowly gone back to treating her normally and not like precious china. 

Ginny smiled as she closed her trunk and levitated it out to the lounge room where everyone was now just waiting for Emily. 

A few minutes later they left the dorm, Emily and the boys glancing back at the building wistfully. This would be the last time they would live here. The last week had been extra busy for the boys, as they had been making trips back home to take their belongings home bit by bit. The dorms would be cleaned from top to bottom in the students' absence, ready for the next influx of students in the new year. 

It was a beautiful sunny day as everyone, with shrunken trunks and bags, meandered down the street towards the train station, free of obligations for the next couple of months. 

ooOOoo

_After dinner at The Burrow, after arriving from Melbourne…_

Though it was freezing cold, everyone had rugged up and come outside for some star gazing. Everyone had a steaming mug of Butterbeer, hats, gloves and scarves and cold, pink noses. 

The twins had set off a new product of theirs called "Twinkling Stars" and it was their simplest product yet. You set it off like a firework, but then the twinkling stars stayed in the air for several hours before they started falling. They were selling well, especially for birthday parties - they gave off quite an incredible, soft glow that made lanterns or candles unnecessary. 

"So Ginny, how is school?" asked Angelina smiling, despite the cold temperature. 

"Great thanks Angelina. I'm loving it actually. It's a pity they don't have courses like this at Hogwarts. It might have livened the place up a bit!" said Ginny, looking more relaxed than any of her family had seen her. 

"And what did you get up to Harry? Bumming around like you usually do?" enquired Katie mischievously, grinning away. Harry was never one to be lazy, and she knew it. 

"Naturally, Katie," replied Harry wryly. Then he smiled. "Actually, I got to spend a lot of time with the MLES in Melbourne and in the Department of Mysteries. But of course, I'm not allowed to talk about that, as you can imagine." 

Ron wandered by as Harry said this, rolling his eyes and punching Harry in the arm. He continued over to where Fred and George were huddled closely, talking a mile a minute by the look of them. As he walked towards them, they beckoned to Phil, Fred and Shane to join them. 

"Did you bring your laptop Phil?" asked George. 

"Yep, we just need an electrical socket to plug it into so I can access the Internet and start researching," explained Phil. It had taken a bit of fumbling, but both wizards and non-wizards had quickly grown used to talking in an exploratory manner, so as not to confuse each other. 

"Well, we'll have to go into London proper for that," mused George. "There aren't any phone lines in this part of the country, because it's all wizarding population." 

"That's fine, just get me to a socket and I'll do the rest," said Phil confidently. 

"Are you sure this is going to work?" said Ron quietly. 

"Won't know until we try Ron," replied Shane looking serious. "But you know we'll do whatever we can to find this guy." 

"Find who?" asked Harry joining them. 

"Harry mate," George said clapping Harry on the back. "Now, whatever you do, don't show any reaction on your face Harry. Just act like we're discussing the latest Quidditch League games." 

"Why, what's going on?" asked Harry, his Auror skills kicking in instantly. His eyes were intense and alert, but his body and posture were still relaxed. 

"Well, we've been thinking about this a lot Harry, and we know how you feel about it, so we're hoping that you'll support us," explained Fred nervously, looking at his twin for support. "We want revenge on Ginny's attacker." 

Harry didn't react at all, and to his credit, he didn't move a muscle either. But the twins knew him very well and so did Ron and look in his eyes was one that frightened them a little. 

Harry looked down at his feet and examined his shoes, wrapping his scarf even tighter around his neck to stave off the cold. "And how, exactly, are you going to do that?" His voice was completely neutral, emotionless. It was almost chilling to hear. 

"We're going to find some internet access in London, said Phil quietly. "Probably in one of the libraries or an internet café. Then I'll start by hacking information from the precinct that would have taken Ginny's statement, if she'd reported her rape." 

"Can we please not say that word?" asked Ron quietly. "I just…" 

"Agreed," said Harry firmly. "It's not a word that engenders any calm in me whatsoever." 

Shane looked at Harry and Ron and apologised. "Sorry" 

Harry turned to Shane, scrutinising him carefully before replying. "It's okay Shane, I know it's hard to discuss this without that word, but it's a word that will attract the wrong sort of attention when we're supposed to acting covertly." 

Shane nodded his assent, silently breathing a sigh of relief. 

"So how is this going to happen?" Harry asked smiling at everyone. "Remember, we're just a group of guys having a cheerful conversation you lot, behave like it." 

"Well, we haven't worked out all the finer details Harry," explained George, nodding and gesturing, "but as soon as we have, we'll let you know." 

"Well, how about we meet secretly so we can really hash this thing out?" suggested Harry. "Let's get this over and done with as soon as possible. I don't know about any of you, but I need some closure on this situation." For a moment, Harry's eyes blazed fiercely and it had the effect of effusing everyone present with renewed determination. 

Harry was on their side; he would support them, plan and implement whatever happened. 

"Hey you lot!" cried out Sirius from across the garden, "we're going inside now. It's too cold!" 

"Be right there Sirius!" called out Harry in reply, before turning back to everyone else. "My only condition is that Sirius and Remus be included. And it's not up for negotiation." 

Everyone nodded in agreement, and moved towards The Burrow and went inside. 

ooOOoo

_30th November - two days later, in London._

"Are you sure this is going to work?" asked Ron nervously. 

They were in an internet café, on the opposite side of London to the Ministry of Magic just to be on the safe side; they hadn't wanted to be seen by anyone from the wizarding world. 

"Yes Ron, just have a little faith," replied Phil, trying to remain calm in the face of all the pressure he was now under. 

They had all met at the Leaky Cauldron for a drink after work - as far as everyone else knew. When Sirius and Remus had been apprised of the plan, they had sat silently for a full minute, too stunned to do anything else. And after some carefully phrased questions from Remus and some rather emotional ones from Sirius, they had agreed to support them; they really couldn't do anything else. The young ones were determined, and both Remus and Sirius fully understood their position. 

And the look on Harry's face had been enough to convince them that they had no other choice; they were also honoured that they had been included, though they felt guilty about not including Arthur – although that obviously was never an option, purely from an emotional perspective. 

Ron, Harry and Sirius had accompanied Phil and Shane to the internet café. And at the moment, the three of them were playing on other computers to ensure that they didn't stand out in any way; so that they looked like any other muggle in there. 

"How did you find out which precinct to hack into?" asked Sirius curiously. 

"Well, once we were back home, the opportunity to talk to her about the three years she'd spent running just eventuated. Not what happened in New York Harry, I promise," said Phil quickly to prevent the inevitable questions. "But just where she'd been, what it had been like, what sort of jobs she'd taken, and she told us what pub she'd been working at in New York just before she left." 

"And we were so shocked that she'd told us, that… well, when Fred and George asked us to help, we were just grateful that we had the information we needed up front," finished Shane. 

"That was damn lucky actually," mused Sirius, who was trying to look like he was playing on the internet, but it was too confusing for him to figure out. Harry was the only one out of three wizards who seemed comfortable with it – simply because Dudley had had one at home and though Harry hadn't been allowed to use it, he had seen how it worked. 

"Now also, as luck would have it, Fred went to New York after his first year at uni, with his parents, and so he knew the particular area that Ginny was referring to. And based on what she told us about what happened, we are now going to track down some maps of that area. And whilst that's happening, I'm just going to hack into the 5th Precinct and have a perusal of all the crimes that have a similar MO in their jurisdiction and see if this guy has done this before," finished Phil matter-of-factly. 

Sirius, Ron and Harry looked at Phil blankly, not really understanding what he was saying. So Shane explained. 

"MO means 'modus operandi'. It means a pattern. We'll be looking for a pattern of behaviour, similarities of attacks, etc. You guys really need to watch some muggle TV once in a while." Shane cracked a smile for a second before returning his mind to the matter at hand. "A lot of rapists, or any criminal for that matter, tend to work in a way that is familiar to them, in an area or in a way that they feel comfortable with. So I'm hoping that his attack on Ginny wasn't a one-off event. And I feel really bad saying that, because I wouldn't want anyone else to suffer as Ginny did, but the realist in me says it wasn't his first or his last." 

Ron, Harry and Sirius looked at Phil and Shane with a newfound sense of respect. The twins had been right. They certainly couldn't do this without muggle help. But then that made sense; muggle crimes needed muggle help to solve them. 

Of course what the wizards didn't know was how incredibly difficult this going to be. It was easier said then done, and although Phil was only hacking into the first layer of the police stations computer systems, that alone was going to be tough enough. But all he needed was to extract basic information at this point. For the rest of it, they were going to have to go to New York itself to get any more; and that's when their Invisibility Cloaks would come in handy. Phil smiled to himself and then muttered something, more to himself than anyone in particular. 

"The only thing that will make this harder will be that we don't have a description of him from Ginny." 

"Actually, we do," said Harry quietly, not looking at anyone. 

"What?" exclaimed Sirius quietly. "How?" 

"What did you do Harry?" Ron said softly, but with a harshness that surprised Sirius. 

"She had another nightmare a few nights ago, after dinner at The Burrow, you know our first night back home? Well usually I wake her up and help her calm down and go to sleep again, but…" Harry paused, and through gritted teeth said "but given what we were intending to try and do, I just… questioned her instead." 

Harry couldn't look Ron in the eye; he'd felt so guilty whilst doing it and even now he still felt a sublime level of betrayal towards Ginny. The emotions on his face, even now, were remembering the other night, and the look was one of torture and tremendous guilt, as was evident by the hands which were shoved into his hair, nervously clutching at his scalp. 

You could have heard a pin drop it was so quiet at Harry's statement. Everyone, to varying degrees, looked as if they wanted to say something, but were trying to hold themselves back from doing so. 

Ron, looked at his best friend carefully, before responding. He took a deep breath and sighed resignedly. "Harry, it's okay. I can imagine how bad you feel, and we know you wouldn't compromise Ginny in any way. And…" he paused, "I'm not sure I wouldn't have done the same thing. You're right. It was a shitty thing to do, but at the same time I can't really blame you for it either." 

Harry raised his head to look over at Ron, his emotions still clearly playing across his features; his eyes misty with unshed tears. 

"Let's leave these two to it, shall we?" suggested Sirius gently. He touched both Ron and Harry on their shoulders, indicating for them to get up, and they left the café and went outside for a bit. 

Sirius sighed heavily to himself. These two had been through so much as friends, and his heart ached to watch them go through yet another tough, emotional hurdle. His only light hearted thought was that he knew their friendship was strong enough to withstand it; just like his and Remus'. He wanted this next chapter of their lives to be over, so the boys could truly move forwards in a future that was bright, stress free from worries and burdens such as the one they were currently facing; a future where all they had to worry about was their girlfriend and wife, planning their weekends and having fun. 

Sirius prayed that that time would hurry up and get here. They'd had about three months of normalcy, but with this 'project' at the forefront of all the boy's minds, it would be a little while before things settled again. 

The plan was to find this guy and deal with him before Christmas arrived. 

Sirius send a silent prayer to Merlin, that they would find him. 

ooOOoo

Once outside, the three of them wandered down the street not speaking, until Harry broke the silence. 

"How are things going with Tonks and Remus these days?" queried Harry. 

Sirius flung his head back. "Ha!" he cried. "There's only one way to describe them - miserable." 

"Yeah, I noticed that they avoided each other completely at The Burrow the other night," mused Harry. "They must be fun to work with at the Ministry." 

Sirius smiled at this. "Well, I haven't spent a lot of time there because I've been out of the country as you know," Sirius looked down at his, not wanting the boys to see him blushing. "But from what I hear, they are beginning to annoy everyone. It's just uncomfortable and Remus just won't budge or give an inch. To her credit, Tonks is acting as normal as she can, given that Remus is practically ignoring her." 

Ron and Harry glanced at each other behind Sirius's back, grinning. 

"So what are you going to do about it?" asked Ron cheekily. 

"What _can_ I do about it?" said Sirius exasperatedly. "He won't even open up to me about it. Remus is often guarded about his private feelings, as you both would probably know from your dealings with him, but this is a whole other kettle of fish. Apart from the initial chat that I had with him the first day of classes at Hogwarts; he came home and we did talk about it, but I couldn't make him see reason." 

"So why doesn't he want to be with Tonks?" asked Harry, who was secretly dying to know what was going on. 

"Well, it's a couple of things Harry," began Sirius stopping and leaning up against a lamp post, and bringing one foot up to rest against it. "One is that he was betrayed by a girl a very long time ago and two, his primary concern is that something will go wrong one month with his transformations." 

Sirius looked at Ron and Harry, who were taking all this information very seriously. They didn't often hear about the personal side of either Sirius or Remus, so this was a huge privilege they were being afforded. 

"Is that really all it is?" asked Harry. 

"Well, they don't _sound_ like insurmountable reasons, but in Remus' mind they are," explained Sirius. "Anne and I have both tried various points of view with him, but at the moment he is immovable." 

"You know, it's just such a shame Sirius," pondered Ron. "I mean, I've seen them work together, and they are just about the best team there is within the Auror Department. The only ones better would be you and he, and Harry and myself." 

"Such modesty!" teased Sirius, making Ron blushed a little. "And you're right too. And the fact that they've always worked so well together is what is making it so difficult at the moment, and it's causing problems too, because things just aren't working as smoothly as they would normally." 

Their conversation was interrupted by Shane, who was running along the footpath looking for them. 

"Harry! Ron! Come quickly!" 


	33. Secrets

**

Chapter 33 Secrets

**

ooOOoo

_Thursday 2nd December  
End of the working day, first week everyone is home from Melbourne…_

"There, there," soothed Molly. "Everything will work out, I promise." But even as she said these words, Molly wasn't convinced that anything would work out for Tonks and Remus. Not if Remus was going to remain distant and impersonal. 

She and Tonks were sitting on the loveseat by the window; Tonks sobbing and sobbing. Looking out of the window, Molly reflected that the weather matched Tonks's mood perfectly - wet and miserable. 

Poor Tonks. Molly understood a little about unrequited love. She'd watched her daughter, for years, follow Harry faithfully around; and although Ginny had grown up and become her own person, her heart had been heavy for her daughter during those early years at Hogwarts. Still, she could comfort Tonks now and just hope for the best. She held Tonks in her arms, rocking her gently. 

"Molly, I don't know how much more I can take of this," Tonks cried sadly. "The only days that I have any respite are when he's teaching at Hogwarts. But it's not enough. That's only two days a week. I guess I should be grateful for that much, but even three days with him at the Ministry is too much." Tonks snorted inelegantly, her eyes puffy from crying and her hair unkempt. She hadn't been sleeping well since Ron and Hermione's wedding and it showed in the bags under her eyes and the pallor of her face. 

Not that Remus had seen any of that. A well performed Glamour charm fixed on a daily basis; so that when Remus saw her, it looked like she was the picture of health and hadn't a care in the world; but the reality was very different, and only Molly, Arthur and Sirius had seen Tonks without the Glamour charm in place. 

"One part of me feels like I want to stalk him day and night and the other half of me just wants to do a Ginny!" she exclaimed. 

Molly smiled at the reference to Ginny. She was so grateful that she could make light of that situation now - though it had taken her a long time for it all to make sense in her own mind. But Tonks had mentioned that a few times now, and at first it seemed as though Tonks was simply trying to make light of Ginny's disappearance _and_ deflect attention from herself, but Molly now wondered if there was real intention behind her words. She just hoped that Remus would come to his senses before that even became a possibility. 

Whilst they were sitting there, in the lounge room, they both failed to notice that a head was floating in the fireplace, waiting to speak to them. 

It was Remus. He coughed gently, to get their attention, but was extremely uncomfortable at what he'd just heard and what he could see with his own eyes. He was shocked at how terrible Tonks looked. Was that really as a result of his rejection of her? He didn't want to believe it. 

Molly and Tonks were so startled that they cried out in fright, before realising what was happening. The second that Tonks saw Remus's head in the fireplace, she grabbed her wand and Disapparated immediately, before Molly could say a word. 

She turned to Remus slowly. 

"Hello Molly," began Remus hesitatingly. "Sorry to frighten you like that." 

"That's okay. What did you hear and see Remus?" asked Molly pointedly. 

Remus looked uncomfortable in Molly's presence, something that, to his knowledge, had never happened during their association. 

"Come on Remus. What did you see and hear?" she stated again slowly. 

"Enough," said Remus evenly. He couldn't verbalise how awful Tonks had looked; could barely admit to himself what it meant. Remus paused, unable to form the words; mainly because his own heart was clutching in his chest at the pain he was causing Tonks. But many years of blocking out the wolf until the last possible moment had taught him well; he simply blocked out what was happening, closed off that part of his mind, schooled his features into a bland, impassive look, so he could deal with - 

"I saw that Remus. Don't you dare switch off from me!" exclaimed Molly, looking livid. At the look on Remus's face she continued. "Oh don't look so surprised Remus. I've been watching Harry switch off from people for years; I'm an expert at seeing when _anyone_ does it." 

Remus had an internal struggle with himself before answering Molly. "What do you want from me Molly!" cried out Remus suddenly. 

Molly went from angry to calm all in a moment; responding quietly, "I want you to admit how you feel about her," her voice soft and gentle on Remus's ears. 

"Molly, I don't discuss this with Sirius. What makes you think I'll discuss it with you?" snapped Remus, momentarily losing control. "Actually," here Remus clamped his lips shut, as if he was struggling not to say anything more. "I only floo'd you to let you know that Arthur would be late tonight as he's been detained for a meeting. Goodbye Molly." 

And with a poof of fire, Remus was gone and Molly was sitting by herself, feeling forlorn and desperately wanting a hug of her own from Arthur. 

ooOOoo

After seeing Remus's head in the fireplace at The Burrow, Tonks had Disapparated home and cried herself to sleep. The one thing she'd had going for her was that Remus had _never _ seen her without the Glamour in place. She hadn't wanted him to see her looking like that, because she knew that she looked awful and she didn't want him to feel guilty. The way she felt was her problem to deal with, not his. But now he knew the truth. 

Tonks tossed restlessly in her sleep for hours before settling into a deep sleep. 

ooOOoo

_Friday 3rd December…_

When she woke up the next morning, Tonks felt exhausted and listless. She just couldn't shake the depression that she felt. She had fallen in love before, but nothing like this. Part of her sensed that she wasn't going to meet anyone else as perfect for her as Remus was. 

She got up, showered and then before she questioned her motives too much, she checked the time and Disapparated to Lupin Lodge. She knew Remus wouldn't be there as he was teaching today at Hogwarts. She knew all his movements extremely well, his habits and where he was every moment of each day. 

It wasn't that she'd been stalking him, but over the years, and especially since Hogwarts had been back in session, she just knew all his movements - like normal close friends. Also, she had heard that Sirius was meeting up with Harry in London this morning, so she knew he probably wouldn't be home either. 

After arriving in the sunroom of Lupin Lodge, Tonks called out to make sure no one was at home. When silence greeted her, she raced upstairs. Though Tonks knew she was just torturing herself, she grabbed Sirius's Invisibility Cloak and Apparated to Hogsmeade. 

Within minutes she was inside Hogwarts and working her way through the castle towards the DADA rooms where Remus would be taking classes. Underneath the cloak she checked her watch. Eleven o'clock. She would be early for his next class, but that was perfect; she could sneak in with the students when they arrived. 

As she walked towards the classroom, Tonks heard footsteps behind her and glanced around to get out of the way of whoever was coming. As she flattened herself up against the wall, she almost gasped in shock. Sirius and Harry were coming towards her; though they couldn't see her. She wondered what they could be doing here. They were obviously going to talk to Remus, and it must have been urgent, because no one bothered him whilst he was teaching on these two days, unless it was urgent. 

Curiosity got the better of her; Tonks followed them and despite the misgivings that rose within her at blatantly eavesdropping, today she just couldn't help herself. 

Tonks snuck in through the open door of the classroom before it closed. Sirius and Harry made their way to the staircase that lead up to Remus's office. She followed softly, taking great care not to make a sound. 

"Remus!" called out Sirius as he climbed the staircase to Remus's office. 

"Yes, come in," said a voice that didn't really sound like Remus at all. 

"Hey Remus," chimed in Harry as they entered Remus's office. "How are you?" 

"Fine thanks Harry," said Remus, the smile of his mouth not reaching his eyes at all. 

"What's up?" asked Sirius. 

"Nothing," replied Remus evenly, still looking down at the papers he was marking. 

But it didn't look like nothing; he looked sad and depressed, which was unlike Remus even on a day following the full moon. Sirius quickly glanced at Harry, then rolled his eyes and mouthed 'Tonks' to him before Remus caught the silent communication, then made motions to Harry to ask another question. 

Harry, never having really negotiated this subject with Remus before, felt like smacking his godfather over the back of the head. But he quickly shook off the feelings of misgivings and spoke again. 

"So Remus, how are things with Tonks?" Harry figured that it was better just to come out with the blunt question and get it over with. 

Remus raised his head from marking papers and fixed, not Harry, but Sirius with a withering look. "That is so transparent Sirius. Getting Harry to do your dirty work for you?" 

"Sorry Remus," replied Harry, sounding suitably chastised, "I know it's none of our business, but honestly, you look, um, awful. And you sound… depressed to be honest." 

Remus just looked at Harry in astonishment. 

"What?" said Harry. "Can't I conjure pearls of wisdom now and then without causing a sensation?" Harry just grinned. Though this level of familiarity was still quite new to Harry, secretly he loved being able to talk with Sirius and Remus like this. 

Harry sat down in a chair opposite Remus and Sirius followed suit. Remus looked at them silently, not saying a word. 

"You are the most stubborn person I know at the moment, Remus," growled Sirius. "Why can't you get past this?" 

"I am getting past this, it's everyone else who won't let it go," replied Remus stubbornly. "If everyone would just accept the decision I've made, then we would all be much happier, but no one wants to accept the decision I've made about my own life!" 

Harry and Sirius looked startled at Remus's impassioned speech. 

"Maybe," Sirius began softly, "it's because you've never looked this bad before, Remus. Maybe it's because we all know in your heart of hearts that you're making the wrong decision." 

Silence fell over the room like a heavy blanket; then Sirius spoke up, even gentler than before. 

"Moony, I won't pretend to know how you're feeling right now, but this isn't as different to my situation as you think. It was a huge step for me to get involved with Anne. You and I are two peas in a pod Moony, you just hate admitting it," grinned Sirius, trying to lighten the moment. "And what no one understands is why you won't give this a chance; she is so right for you; she adores you; she's cared for you after a full moon; when have you ever trusted anyone but me to do that for you? And whilst I was in Azkaban doesn't count, I'm talking about since Voldemort returned." 

Moony was silent. He looked into Sirius's light blue eyes, which were free from past hurts for the first time ever, and sighed. He wasn't going to discuss this again. He just wished everyone would leave him alone. 

Harry, feeling sorry for Remus, decided it was time to let him off the hook. But it was hard, because he looked so tortured right now, and in Harry's usual way, he felt driven to help him. But clearly, Remus didn't want to talk about it at all. 

"Remus, we're sorry we were late, but we've just come from The Notch, where we've been updated on the search." 

Tonks, listening to all this in amazement, stopped her current train of thought. _'What search?'_ she thought to herself. She wasn't aware of any search that Harry and Sirius would be involved in, so they obviously weren't talking about anything Ministry related. She stayed as still as a statue and waited to hear more. 

Remus, glad for the change of topic changed his focus immediately. "Good, have they found him yet?" 

"They think so," replied Sirius. "But we're going to need to go to New York to be positive. Harry thinks, from the description that Ginny gave him, that he'd know this guy to look at. But what we really need to check out are the… oh blast it, what are they called again Harry?" 

"Mug shots," supplied Harry helpfully, hiding a grin, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. 

"Yeah, mug shots, from that precinct to confirm it. We just wanted to tell you in person where we were at and to ask you to meet us tonight at the Snout's Fair." 

Tonks was feeling rather confused. From what she'd just overheard they were talking about a search for Ginny's rapist; that much was clear. And it seemed obvious to her that their intentions were to actually find him; which was startling news. Tonks wondered if Ginny knew about what was going on. Her suspicions were confirmed moments later. 

"Does Ginny suspect anything, Harry?" asked Remus worriedly. 

"Nope, she is just enjoying being home and not studying for a change," responded Harry. "And I keep my fingers crossed every day that she doesn't find out, or any of the other Weasley women, otherwise we'd be in so much trouble… I don't even want to contemplate what would happen if Ginny or Hermione discovered what we were up to." 

Remus and Sirius shared a smile, both thinking of Lily berating James, and them, for getting into trouble throughout their friendship whilst they were at Hogwarts, and even after that. 

"And I hate lying to Anne," said Sirius looking miserable for a moment. "It kills me every time. I just want this to be over with as quickly as possible, then I won't feel so guilty." 

As Tonks listened to their conversation, she experience a flurry of emotions; concern, fear, trepidation and of course love for all of them as they tried to deal with an invisible demon from Ginny's past. 

And as she stood silently in Remus's office and listened to their plans, an idea came to her; and as daring as it was, Tonks instinctively knew she was right. Now she had to decide whether to tell the boys or just turn up wherever they went. Of course that might be problematical given that she didn't know exactly where they were going in New York. She knew it was a big place; too big and easy to get lost in. 

As Tonks stood there, she realised that she had to tell them her idea. But should she reveal herself now? _'No!'_ she thought to herself. '_That wouldn't look good and what on earth would Remus think?'_

**'Well, he will hardly think any worse of you, will he?'** the little voice inside her head said. ** 'And besides, to tell them your plan, you're going to have to tell them how you found out. You won't be able to keep it a secret.' **

_'Unless, I only tell Sirius how I found out,"_ she thought to herself. _'He'll understand; he won't make me feel awful about it.'_

By the time she had finished thinking things through in her mind, Harry and Sirius were saying goodbye to Remus and leaving his office. But something held her back. She remained where she was and when the door closed she remained still; taking the opportunity to watch Remus unreservedly. 

Despite the fact that he was telling people that he didn't care for her, and wasn't affected by what was or wasn't happening between them, his face was telling another story right now. 

Once the door closed, he slouched back in his chair and his head hung limply backwards, resting against the back of his chair, his eyes closing for a moment, before they opened and he picked up his quill again. Etched into the lines of his face was the anguish that she saw in her own reflection daily. She wondered if seeing her the day before, looking so haggard and desperately sad, had added to how he was feeling today. 

She walked around to stand silently behind him. She almost cried out in surprise when she read what was written on the parchment in front of him. At that precise moment though, Remus pushed his chair back and stood up and walked to the door. Tonks backed off quickly and froze up against the cabinet behind his desk. He turned to look back at his desk, but to Tonks it felt like he was looking right at her. She felt petrified, even though she was covered by the Invisibility Cloak. Remus shook his head, then opened the door and walked down the stairs into his classroom, which was filling up with students. 

As the door closed, Tonks could have sworn she saw the slightest smile on his face and wondered at it. But once the door was closed she peered down at the parchment that was lying in front of her very eyes. She'd thought he was marking papers. She was quite wrong. This is what she read: 

**Dear Nymphadora, **

In this moment, all the Gryffindor courage I usually harness during such necessary times has deserted me. Writing to you is all I'm capable of at the moment. And though it truly pains me to prove Sirius right (for once), I can't deny how I feel. 

I love you. 

But at the moment I'm just not capable of admitting this out loud or saying it to you in person. I need time Tonks, to work through some of my issues before I can be with you. I know this is completely unfair to you; I understand how unconscionable my behaviour has been of late. 

However, I would like to call a truce to our current situation, and I plead with you to take care of yourself. It hurt me terribly to see you at The Burrow with Molly, and though I hardly look any better myself at the moment, I feel a tremendous sense of guilt that how you look at the moment is completely my fault. I never even imagined that I could hurt another person as badly as I have hurt you. Please forgive me. 

Tonks's heart leapt to her throat at the words she was reading. She hadn't hoped or dared. Then she reminded herself; he hadn't sent it yet and he may never send it. 

Oh, but knowing how he really felt about her would make all the days that followed that much easier to bear. She closed her eyes tight for a moment and sighed longingly to herself. She'd known it all along, and was thrilled that he was finally admitting it. **'To a piece of parchment'** came the nagging voice. 

"Oh who cares?" Tonks said softly, out loud. "He feels the same way and that's a start." She continued reading the letter. 

**I know this will seem frustrating to you, but please be patient with me. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you - and that is my greatest fear; losing you. **

Here the letter stopped rather abruptly. He must have been writing it when Sirius and Harry arrived. 

Hearing a lot of noise from the classroom below, Tonks left the desk and moved towards the door listening. She could hear Remus directing the students out of the classroom. That was odd, but Tonks assumed he must be taking them outside to do some practical defence work; and that was fortuitous for her. 

Tonks carefully crept out of Remus's office, through the Defence classroom and along the corridors until she exited Hogwarts itself. She walked to the main gates and as soon as she stepped outside the protective boundaries, she Apparated home. 

And after sending an owl to the Ministry to explain her absence, she went to bed and fell immediately into a deep, restful sleep until lunchtime. 

ooOOoo

_Monday morning - 5th December._

Sirius sat stunned; speechless, dumbfounded… 

"But how did you know?" 

"You have to promise me that you won't divulge this to anyone Sirius. Can I trust you?" Tonks spoke urgently, partially fearful that she had made a mistake in confiding in Sirius. 

"Yes, of course you can," replied Sirius sincerely. 

And Tonks did - but she still needed reassurance. 

They were in a quiet corner of the Leaky Cauldron in London. Remus was at Hogwarts, teaching, and Sirius was still reeling from the discovery that Tonks had found out about their plans. 

"Okay then," began Tonks nervously. "The day that you and Harry visited Remus at Hogwarts last week, I was there too. Under your Invisibility Cloak." She paused to let it sink in before continuing again. 

As the information sunk in, the look on Sirius's face changed from one of confusion to understanding and then… something else. 

"You heard everything?" he asked nervously, thinking of what he had said to Remus about Tonks. 

"Yes," said Tonks quietly, "and thank you for standing up for me Sirius." 

"Well," said Sirius, looking awkward and self-conscious, "I've never really had to push him on anything like this before. Ever in fact." Sirius looked at Tonks fondly. "But I meant what I said, I think you would be good for him, I know how much you care about him…" here Sirius paused again, "and I think it's time he worked through his 'issues' about this, once and for all." 

"Thanks Sirius," came Tonks's meek and quiet reply. 

"And of course you figured out what we were talking about, at the same time?" 

"Um, yeah. I figured it out and I want to talk to you about it, but I don't want Remus to **ever** know I was in that room Sirius. It is crucial that he doesn't learn that I found out about this 'project' of yours that morning. You'll have to make something up if he ever asks." Tonks looked at Sirius, her eyes pleading and silently begging. She wanted to protect Remus's privacy as much as her own. 

Sirius, understandingly, nodded his head. And in an unprecedented display of excitement, Tonks leapt up from the chair and hugged Sirius tightly. 

"I owe you Sirius. I really do," said Tonks, smiling for the first time in months. 

"Oh, it's nothing," said Sirius, feeling a tad embarrassed. 

"Well, it's not nothing, but let's move on shall we?" said Tonks, still grinning from ear to ear. "Now here's my plan."

Please don't forget to Review! Rhiain & Carolyn


	34. A matter of revenge

**

Chapter 34  
A Matter of Revenge  


**

ooOOoo

_Lupin Lodge_

Friday morning - 9th December

"So are we ready?" asked Remus. 

"Yes," said Phil. "All we need to do now is to get to New York and do it." 

"And we're all clear on what we each have to do?" asked Bill 

"Not quite," said Sirius. 

Everyone looked questioningly at Sirius, waiting to hear what he wanted clarified. Sirius stood up and looked around at everyone, wondering how best to put this to them. Remus, Harry, six Weasley boys and three Aussies; it was somewhat intimidating. 

"I think there's a better way to go about this," Sirius said tentatively. He paused. How on earth was he going to say this. Tonks was waiting in the other room, under his Invisibility Cloak, listening for her queue. 

"Come on Sirius," said Charlie looking impatient. "What?" 

"I have an alternative plan; one that I think will work much more effectively, and from the Muggle's point of view, safer in the long run." He paused again, rubbing one hand around the back of his neck, as if he was trying to relieve tension, the other hand shoved into his jean pocket. "I think we need a female decoy." 

The was silence as everyone digested what they'd just heard. 

"What do you mean, a female decoy," asked Harry slowly. "Surely you're not suggesting – " 

"No, no, of course not Harry. It didn't even cross my mind to consider Ginny," exclaimed Sirius. "I was thinking of Tonks actually." 

Remus immediately paled and sat down on the couch. 

"She knows what we're doing. She found out recently," explained Sirius, as Tonks appeared in the doorway to the lounge room of Lupin Lodge, her head held high, as if she was expecting a fight. 

"How the hell did she find out?" asked Harry harshly, then turning to Tonks. "No offence Tonks, but this was supposed to be a secret." 

Sirius answered for her. "That's irrelevant at this point Harry. Suffice to say that she knows, and she came to me and suggested this alternative." 

"Harry," said Tonks gently, walking up to Harry and looking up at him, her eyes more serious then he'd ever seen them. Harry was looking wild and slightly panicky, but Tonks took it in her stride. "I understand how you feel about this and the plan you've come up with is good for what it is, but when I discovered what your plan was… well this idea just came to me in a flash and I instinctively knew that using me as a decoy was by far the best option. The muggle police aren't going to act as quickly on 'reports' as much as they'll act on a victim's behalf." She paused. "And so this time, the victim will be me." 

"Tonks," interrupted Bill, concern evident in his tone, "this is not like one of your usual raids you know, this is a totally alien environment, one that none of us, except Harry and the Aussies, are equipped to be in." 

"I know. And I've thought about it long and hard, and I really believe that this is the only way to get this guy in jail for as long as possible." 

"No," said Remus vehemently. "You're not doing it." 

Everyone turned their heads at the tone of his voice. It was low, threatening and passionate. 

"Yes I am Remus, and you can't stop me," said Tonks firmly. 

She watched as Remus stood up and crossed the room, grabbed her by the arm and marched her through the back door to the garden, leaving everyone with gaping expressions on their faces. 

ooOOoo

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Remus said quietly, the tone of his voice belying the emotion that was behind it. Tonks could sense anger in him and… fear. 

From the moment she had heard what they were planning, to seeing the letter Remus had written to her which she still hadn't received, Tonks had known that this was going to be hard for him to accept. 

"I thought I just made that pretty clear Remus," replied Tonks firmly. Tonks took a deep breath. She had promised herself she would remain calm and detached throughout this exchange. 

Remus just looked at her askance. He couldn't believe she was doing this! "Why then?" 

"I think I also made that pretty - " 

Remus cut her off. "Damnit, cut it out Tonks!" Remus snapped. 

"Why are you so upset?" she asked quietly. She wasn't really expecting an answer, but thought it couldn't hurt to try. Remus was pacing in front of her back and forth, oblivious to the fact that it was freezing, and Tonks was shivering without her cloak. 

"I'm not - " began Remus when he suddenly stopped himself. He'd been about to deny that he was upset, and to say that would be an outright lie, and he knew it and so did she. But the alternative was to admit how he felt. 

Remus closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. When he opened his eyes he looked down at Tonks and noted, guiltily, that she was shivering. "Let's get you inside where it's warm," he replied gruffly and stalked back inside without her. 

Tonks smiled to herself before opening the back door again. 

ooOOoo

When Tonks walked back into the lounge room, everyone turned towards her. Remus and Sirius were talking quietly in the far corner, the Aussie boys were crowded around Phil's laptop looking at the screen intently, and all the Weasley's and Harry were standing in a group, looking lost. 

Percy broke from the group first to come forward to meet Tonks. "Tonks," Percy began haltingly, "I know we must seem ungrateful right now, but having been on a particular course and now to change the plans at the last minute… it's just taken a few minutes for everyone to get their heads around it." 

"So you'll let me do it then?" asked Tonks, her eyebrows raised. Telling them she knew what was going on and giving them an alternative plan was one thing, but Tonks and Sirius had known that that alone didn't guarantee that they would allow her do it. 

"Yes," said Harry, "but if anything goes wrong, we're stepping in, magic or no magic. I won't see you get hurt on our account Tonks." 

"I understand Harry, and I know what the consequences might be. I'll be fine," responded Tonks seriously. 

She glanced over to Remus who was clenching and unclenching his fists agitatedly. 

"So how are we going to explain your absence from the girls' weekend away?" asked Charlie. 

"Simple. I'll say I've got to go into the office because I took a day off earlier this week. It's at least partly true, I do have to make up time, just not this weekend," replied Tonks candidly. Her eyes flittered to Remus for the briefest moment and quickly came back to rest on Charlie. "Let's go over the new plan, shall we?" 

The boys nodded and for the next hour they hashed out the details of the new plan, everyone contributing except for Remus, who had been silent since the meeting had re-started. Though she was ignoring him at the moment, she could feel his eyes on her. 

Remus, sitting silently across the room from Tonks, felt ill. He couldn't keep his eyes off Tonks. He couldn't believe she was going through with this, and he was furious at Sirius for allowing it to get as far as it had. But there was no stopping it now. It was a done deal and everyone had agreed. If he protested too much, it would just raise questions he just wasn't prepared to answer. 

ooOOoo

_The Notch  
4.00pm Friday afternoon - 9th December_

"I can't believe we are going off for a girly weekend!" exclaimed Angelina in delight. 

The girls, having been 'given' a weekend away by all their men, were currently standing in the lounge room of The Notch with their bags packed and were just waiting on Ginny, who was just now coming out of her bedroom with her overnight bag. 

"Well, it's not like we don't deserve one of these," said Katie smiling around at everyone. 

"True," said Ginny matter-of-factly. "I feel like we haven't had any real time together since the wedding, and…" she hesitated for a moment, chewing her bottom lip. 

"What is it Gin?" asked Hermione. 

"Well, we've just never had the time to really bond as a group before, you know? What with everything that's gone on in our lives, we haven't done anything resembling this since Gryffindor won the last Quidditch match at Hogwarts the last year you were all there," she paused for a moment and then sighed, "it was such a long time ago." 

Ginny looked a little sad, until Penny piped up. "Well then, this will be just thing for all of us, though I must admit I'm a little nervous about venturing into Muggle London. I haven't really gone back to that world since I graduated." 

"Well, I've got money from Harry and directions," said Emily happily clapping her hands, "so let's get going. It's supposed to be one of the best Spa Resorts in London. I can't wait!" she exclaimed clapping her hands together gleefully. 

"It's a pity that Tonks couldn't join us," mused Anne. 

"Yeah, but she said she's got a tonne of reports that need completing before next week and with time off work this week - " explained Hermione. 

"Well that's Remus's fault that is," said Anne, interrupting Hermione. 

Hermione considered the statement carefully. "Well, yes I guess he was a factor Anne. It sounds like it all just got too much for poor Tonks, and that's understandable. I do know how she feels." Hermione sighed in a very martyish way, which caused everyone to laugh. "Well, it's not like it was easy for Ron and I you know… we're both stubborn and he was so shy about it all, and getting him to admit that he liked me like that, well it was like trying to get blood from a stone - " 

" - until he kissed you that night in the Common Room," said Katie laughing outright. "That's Gryffindor courage for you!" 

Hermione, Ginny, Katie and Angelina smiled quietly at the memory. It seemed like a lifetime ago that that had happened. 

"Anyway, despite Tonks's absence, it's still going to be a great weekend," said Emily firmly. "C'mon, let's get going." 

Before too long they were organised and had Disapparated to the Leaky Cauldron for a pint of Butterbeer before heading off into London proper. 

ooOOoo

_Earlier the same day…_

The boys and Tonks spent the day whilst the girls were working, teaching or otherwise occupied, refining the 'mission'. Sirius and Harry sat down with Tonks and showed her the map of the area they were going to, so she could memorise everything. 

Tonks then spent some time with the twins who were, aside from Tonks, the second-most pivotal characters to everything succeeding. When they finished discussing their roles, all three sat down with the three Aussie boys to learn as much as they could about muggle nightlife and look at the information they'd collected on Ginny's attacker. 

The plan was to arrive and set out from the International Portkey Terminal for Muggle New York. They arrived at 11.30am local time, which gave them plenty of time to prepare; find somewhere to stay an apartment or hotel and tracking their target. 

ooOOoo

By 4.30pm they were ready and at the England International Portkey Terminal ready to depart. 

It was a solemn group that stood around the portkey; they looked at each other in silence, then Harry spoke. 

"Okay, let's do this." 

A moment later they were gone. 

ooOOoo

_New York - 9th December  
11.35am local time_

Going from the quiet English countryside to the hustle and bustle of New York was a culture shock for everyone except Aussie Fred, who glanced around in delight. "This is brilliant!" he exclaimed excitedly, looking up at the tall buildings that surrounded him. 

They were in the area known to the locals as Little Italy, in Manhattan. The main thoroughfare was Mulberry Street, and the whole area was filled with cafés and restaurants, with other shops scattered in between. 

It was well past lunch by the time they finished arriving, separately, to the apartment that Harry had booked them into on 23rd Street. They didn't arrive all as one group; just Harry and Sirius checked in initially and then everyone else came up one by one, as visitors, dressed in muggle clothes. 

From the information that Phil, Harry and Sirius had been able to copy from the files at the 5th Precinct Police Station from their 'nighttime' visit a week earlier, they had been able to determine exactly who they were after, where he lived and the places he frequented. 

They had dinner at the apartment, not wanting to take advantage of the plethora of restaurants just a stones throw away. They were feeling nervous and no one wanted to go out without everyone else. 

Close to the time they were going to leave for the pub, Tonks disappeared into the bathroom and when she emerged about 30 minutes later, the boys all stopped what they were doing and just stared. 

She was wearing the outfit she had worn to Ron and Hermione's wedding. It was 'muggle' enough to not stand out as being magical and 'different' enough to attract attention; she had made a few changes to her outfit though and the boys had definitely noticed. Though it was essentially the same design, Tonks had altered it to be far more revealing. 

She emerged from the bathroom hesitatingly; her long gown now shortened to just above her knees - not trashy - but extremely nice to look at; her hair a gorgeous strawberry blonde. And unlike before when the dress skimmed over her curves perfectly, now it was tighter and more obvious, a definite cleavage showing where it hadn't before. 

Everyone just gaped at her as she stood nervously in front of them, looking a little unsure of herself. Remus clamped his mouth shut and incredibly didn't react at all from what Tonks could tell, as she briefly scrutinised him beneath her long eyelashes. 

"What do you think?" asked Tonks quietly, her eyes quickly shifting from Remus and her gaze touching each of them. 

They remained silent until Fred and George piped up. 

"You look smashing Tonks!" exclaimed George. 

"Yeah, that hair colour really suits you. And I wish we had a camera to take a photo. I'm sure we won't see you look like _this_ ever again!" smirked Fred. "You are going to be so easy to flirt with." Then the twins glanced at each other and then back to Tonks. "But you're going to have to keep in mind that we're only acting." The boys winked at her and Tonks just started to giggle. "We don't want to upset our wives." 

This was going to work. It wasn't going to be uncomfortable, the twins were going to make it easy and safe. Tonks's mind began wondering how this might play out and then stopped her brain from even thinking about it. _'Stop it! Don't think about anything other the next step. You're an Auror, you can protect yourself, even without your wand. And remember, the boys won't be too far away, you won't get hurt.' _ Tonks's eyes glazed over until Sirius stepped in front of her. 

"Ready?" came his quiet question. 

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied just as quietly, picking up the ankle length faux fur coat that would compliment her outfit. 

Sirius turned his head to the rest of the room. Everyone, looking grim and serious, moved into action. The Aussies stood still whilst Remus and Sirius put a communication charm on them. The three Aussies left the apartment; their job was to find the suspect and when that had happened, everyone else would assume their positions. 

ooOOoo

_The Red Lion pub - 9.00pm_

An hour later Tonks found herself in the pub sitting nervously on a barstool. Her insides were squirming, but she looked the picture of coolness. 

Remus stared at her from his dark corner. He was sitting with Sirius and Harry and they were trying to keep out of sight as much as possible, so as not to draw attention to themselves. Charlie was further along the bar, by himself. Ron, Bill and Percy were at a table in the centre of the main room, facing Tonks's general direction. 

Tonks sat with her back to her friends, her strawberry blonde hair falling long and straight down her back, legs crossed, a flash of thigh, a smile at the bartender and she was in the right frame of mind for the next step - which was the twins moving in to 'pick her up'. 

They were outside, waiting for a signal from the Aussies, who had spent the last hour looking for and then following the suspect and hoping that he went to the pub. 

"Harry," came Phil's voice inside Harry's head. 

"I hear you Phil, what's happening?" 

"He's on his way. Two minutes out," came the reply. 

The only one who couldn't hear what Phil was saying was Tonks. When they'd sat down as a group Tonks had told them that she wouldn't cast the Communication Spell on herself. There was resistance to this at first, but Tonks had insisted that they wouldn't want to be listening to whatever she had to say to lure this guy, or to survive him. They'd all sobered immediately at this and had left it at that. 

Sirius surreptitiously caused a breakage of glass across the room; it was a signal to Tonks that their target was on his way. 

Everyone took a deep breath and waited. 

ooOOoo

_10.00pm…_

"This is excruciating," Remus rasped, his fingers gripping the edge of the table they were sitting at. His head hung down to his chest, his breathing shallow, shoulders slumped. 

Sirius and Harry watched him worriedly and then looked at each other. They understood how he felt to a certain extent. 

Tonks was putting on quite a show, and the twins were lapping it up. Remus had been able to watch her to begin with, knowing that she was faking everything, but as time wore on, every flirtatious gesture had begun to cut irrationally deep and he simply couldn't take it any more. 

But he had to, because they could see that their target was taking a lot of notice of Tonks and had moved from where he'd sat at one of the tables on the main floor area to the bar, to a few seats down from Tonks, Fred and George. 

"You know what I don't understand?" asked Sirius. 

"About what?" asked Harry. 

"Well," Sirius paused, unsure if he should bring this up. "He only seems to target bright, vivacious women with red or strawberry blonde hair, right?" Harry simply nodded, looking down at his glass. "So, how did Ginny catch his eye. From her own description she worked hard, got on well with the customers, was friendly, but…" 

Harry looked up to find Sirius looking at him questioningly. "She said to me once that by the time it happened, she was finally feeling a little comfortable and was almost feeling like herself again, when she was attacked." 

"Well, that explains it, because my image of Ginny in the years she was running is that of a very introverted and scared girl." 

"Yeah, she'd agree with you. I mean her initial attraction for the pub is obvious because of the name and colours… I get how she ended up working here, but I think that probably helped her to feel at home; and she said there was just something about this pub that made her feel safe, though sitting here I honestly can't imagine what it was." 

Remus's head suddenly shot upwards, his eyes fixed on Tonks. "She's about to make her move," he said, his voice dangerously quiet. 

Sirius and Harry followed his gaze. 

ooOOoo

_10.05pm…_

"Well boys, it has certainly been fun, but I've got places to go, people to see," laughed Tonks as her forefinger grazed seductively down George's face and slid from the bar stool, her dress sliding up higher, exposing more creamy thigh to their target. Tonks's eyes slid over the man a few seats down from George, then she slowly turned back to peck both Fred and George on the cheek. 

"Any chance of a nightcap then?" asked Fred, trying to look endearing. 

"Mmmm, maybe if you're still here when I came back later on," Tonks replied softly, and then smiling like a cat who'd just licked clean a bowl of cream, she picked up her purse and sashayed out of the bar, not looking back. 

"Man, she was brilliant!" cried Fred, continuing the charade. 

"Who'd've thought we'd meet another Brit in the middle of New York City?" exclaimed George. 

"I hope she comes back later, she's great fun," sighed Fred gazing at Tonks as she left. 

His gaze rested on an empty bar stool a few seats up from them, and he said to George and to everyone tapped into the Communication Charm, "he's left. Shane, Phil, Fred, can you see them?" 

ooOOoo

Note: Please Review… this story is not abandoned.. there should be one chapter a week until it is completed. There are 40 chapters and an epilogue I think… 

Rhiain & Carolyn 


	35. Darkness

**Authors Note: **Just so everyone knows, there will be another chapter put up in the next few days... so keep your eyes out for it! Rhiain & Carolyn!**  
**

**Chapter 35**

**Darkness**

ooOOoo

"Fred, we've got him," replied Phil a moment later.

"Is she okay?" interrupted Remus.

"So far Remus," acknowledged Phil. "Are you all on your way?"

"Yes," replied Sirius. "We're coming out now. Where are you?"

"Just opposite the alley where Ginny said she was taken. We've split up along the route she took, so that we don't lose sight of them at any point," replied Aussie Fred.

The plan was to watch to see if their target took the bait and to call the police, who they knew were on the lookout for this guy and would respond quickly.

Once out of the pub and in the dark, everyone Apparated to the point where Aussie Fred was. Harry cast a spell to make the wizards invisible to non muggle eyes as a precaution.

As the group stood silently still, they could see Tonks walking alone; the suspect closing in on her. Sirius put his hand out and grabbed Remus's arm, to hold him back as they watched on in silence… unable, for the moment, to do anything.

ooOOoo

Tonks knew where everyone was. She knew the wizards would be invisible to any muggles in the vicinity in case they needed to cast any magic. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Phil, then Shane as she walked past shop windows and office buildings. She was conscious of someone behind her and worked not to panic. She slowed down a little to allow him to catch up to her as she turned left into the next street. She heard the footsteps come closer…

"Excuse me miss," said a husky voice behind her.

She stopped and turned around at the voice, smiling. "Yes," she replied.

"Hi there," the man said. He just stood looking at her appraisingly, but not offensively so.

Tonks mentally noted that he was a very good looking man, and that it wouldn't take much for him to sweet talk his victims before turning on them. Shoving this thought to the back her mind, she smiled again.

"Hello," she replied, smiling beguilingly up at the stranger.

"Well, I was just wondering if you would be interested in having a late night coffee with me?"

"But I hardly know you," Tonks replied sweetly, every nerve in her body tingling and alert, her body poised for action, though this man wouldn't notice that.

"Well, I was hoping we could change that," he replied smoothly.

"Thanks for the offer, but maybe another time. I've got a party to get to and I'm running a little late. But again, thanks for the offer. Have a good evening." She smiled again and turned to leave.

He grabbed her arm. "Oh, I don't think so,'" he said, his voice dropping to almost nothing.

"I beg your pardon?" replied Tonks, her voice noticeably higher pitched. "Let go of me."

"Not just yet." His fingers tightened around her arm and in a flash he pulled her close and crushed her to his body, her back to him, one arm pinning her body to his and his free hand covering her mouth.

Tonks struggled and tried to free herself, and though her legs were not constrained, her upper body was immovable as if caught in a vice; _no wonder Ginny had been unable to escape._

ooOOoo

On the other side of the street, Phil was standing in a phone booth. The moment he saw the suspect grab Tonks he dialed 911 and waited for the operator.

"_911, what is your emergency?"_

"I've just seen some guy drag a girl off into an alley. The thing is I've seen him before. His face is on posters all over the place. He's wanted for rape. I don't know what - "

"_Sir, what is your location?"_

"Spring Street, just down from Mulberry Street. He's dragged this woman down an alley. She was kicking and trying to fight him."

"_Sir, where are you exactly?"_

"A pay phone in Spring Street on the opposite corner to the alley. But I can't see a name for the alley."

"_That's okay sir. I have just dispatched officers to that location. You should hear the sirens in a few minutes. Can you see them anymore?"_

"No, I can't."

"_Don't worry sir, we'll be there as soon as possible. You've done all you can. Could you please wait by the phone for the police sir?"_

"Sure. No worries. Thank you operator," said Phil. He hung up the phone and opened the doors and stepped out of the phone booth.

ooOOoo

While Phil was making the 911 phone call, everyone else had moved across the street to the corner of the alleyway. They could make out two figures at the end.

It was horrible. They could hear Tonks struggling and trying to claw her way free, she must have bitten his hand, thought Harry, because they heard her cry out for help.

Phil ran up to the group on the corner and repeated the conversation he'd had with the 911 operator. "We should get out of here in the meantime though," said Phil quickly. "We don't want to be spotted watching a crime and doing nothing about it."

As they reached the other side of the street, and slipped through the doorway of an office building, there was a blood curdling scream from the alleyway. Instinctively, Remus launched himself off the stoop they were standing in, and as quick as lightening Harry and Sirius grabbed him and pulled him inside, out of view of the street.

"No Moony!" said Sirius urgently, shoving Remus further inside the office, away from the door.

"She's needs our help!" cried out Remus.

"Remus, we can't go and help her and you know it!" Harry stated firmly, struggling to keep his hold on Remus. Though Remus was taller than Harry, Harry hadn't realised how strong Remus was; and something told Harry that what Remus was experiencing in that moment was the power of the wolf.

"Bill, Charlie - help us would you?" urged Sirius.

It took the four of them a full minute of struggling to bring Remus back under control and sit him down. He sat there, panting, looking so defeated, his eyes brimming with tears.

"I know none of you can hear her, but I can," panted Remus quietly, as a tear tracked down his cheek.

Sirius motioned for everyone to leave them alone. Everyone else moved into one of the other rooms.

Sirius sat down next to his dearest friend, not knowing what to say. "Remus, she is a strong woman, and the police will be here any minute now."

"But think of what he could do to her in that minute," whispered Remus, turning to Sirius, his eyes sad, bright and wet.

"Stop listening for her. You're torturing yourself."

Remus was silent a moment. He was listening for her again. "I can't hear her anymore. What if the police don't find her in time? What if this monster gets away? What if he…?" Remus couldn't even formulate the words, couldn't bear to even think them. He shut his eyes tightly, as if trying to block horrific images from his mind. "I can't lose her Sirius. I love her."

Sirius caught his breath momentarily. He was glad that Remus had verbalised it at last, he just wished that Tonks could hear him.

"Phil is going to go back outside to meet the police and direct them where to go," Sirius reminded Remus. "We can't do any more for her at this moment, except wait." In the distance Sirius heard the distant wail of sirens. They both froze still.

"Sirius!" called Phil, sticking his head through the front door of the office building, though the communication charm was still in effect. "You had all better stay where you are and out of sight."

"Will do," remarked Ron.

"And maybe you could make yourselves visible again," commented Shane, who was inside the office building with Fred and 9 invisible wizards. "It's weird hearing your voices and not seeing you."

"In fact," remarked Aussie Fred, " we should probably leave the area altogether and go back to the hotel. It's not far and we'll still be in touch with Phil via the Communication Charm."

Everyone nodded and Phil closed the door behind him and went back to the phone booth. A few seconds later he saw the approaching flashing lights and he stepped out to flag down the first police car as it came to a screeching halt.

ooOOoo

_Hours later, around 2.00am_

_Saturday 10th December_

"I've never seen him like this before," Harry commented quietly to Sirius and Ron.

Apart from Phil, everyone was back at the apartment. Sirius and Harry had practically had to force Remus to lie down in one of the bedrooms. Bill had accompanied him - just on the off chance Remus decided to Disapparate to find Tonks.

"Actually Harry, that is pretty much how bad you were when you came back to find Ginny gone again," commented Sirius soberly.

Harry surprised, looked from Ron to Sirius. "Really?"

"Yeah mate," said Ron shaking his head, smiling in amusement, amazed that he could find anything to smile about in that moment.

And right at that moment, they were simply waiting.

Phil had spoken to them via the Communication Charm explaining very briefly what had happened. The police, who had been trying to capture this rapist for some time now, had secured the perimeter of the alley and surrounding buildings. As police fanned out and moved inwards where Tonks had last been spotted, they came across them.

Though Phil didn't go into a lot of detail, because he hadn't actually seen it firsthand, the police told him that Tonks was okay and that the rapist had been shot dead in the exchange. Tonks was being taken to hospital to check out her injuries and he was on his way to the police station to make a statement. They had worked out their stories; as far as the police would be concerned, they were both tourists in the Big Apple.

"Okay, I've just finished at the police station and now they're taking me to the hospital where she is." Phil was alone and in the bathroom at the police station, first checking that he was alone before speaking out loud. "I'll check back in as soon as I get a chance."

Phil left the police station and was taken to the hospital where they'd taken Tonks. He followed the police officer through the white corridors till they arrived at the Nurses Station for the ward where Tonks had been taken. The officer spoke first.

"Nurse, I'm Officer Rooks, could you tell us which room Julia Hillard is in please?"

"She's in Room 36."

"Thank you," the officer replied.

"Excuse me Nurse?" asked Phil tentatively. "Can you tell me her condition?"

"And you are?" she asked gently.

"A friend. We were supposed to meet up tonight and then this happened."

"Well, it will take a while for her to heal properly. She was badly beaten," said the nurse gently. "Her shoulder was dislocated, but it's back in place now, and she has a couple of broken ribs."

"Did he…?" Phil couldn't quite bring himself to ask the question out loud, knowing that everyone was listening in back at the apartment.

"No, he didn't. She was incredibly lucky under the circumstances. Would you like to go and see her now?"

"Yes, please," replied Phil with relief.

"I'll take him Officer."

"Don't you need to take her statement or something?" asked Phil.

"Someone has already taken it, though she'll have to come back to the police station when she's able to sign off on it. You know, to make sure we got all the details right," replied Officer Rooks.

Phil faced the police officer and held out his hand. "Thank you, sir."

"No problem Phil. Why don't you give us a ring tomorrow and let us know how she's doin', okay?"

"Yes, sir, I'll do that."

And with that the officer left, as the nurse showed Phil to Tonks's room. They spoke for a few minutes about what the hospital staff had done, in terms of her treatment, and then Phil went inside.

ooOOoo

As Phil moved into the hospital room, he was relieved to find that Tonks was the only occupant. As soon as the nurse had checked Tonks's vitals, she left the room, closing the door behind her. Phil approached the bed.

"Tonks?" asked Phil quietly. As he got closer he saw her eyes flutter open, but he was amazed that her left eye could open at all. It was badly swollen and bruised. He sat gently on the side of the bed. Her eyes closed again.

"Is she okay?" asked Harry in his ear.

"Harry, can you take the Communication Charm off so that it's just you and me?"

"Yeah sure," replied Harry voice. There was a pause. "Done. How is she?"

"She looks awful Harry," Phil's voice catching in his throat.

After a few moments… "Just describe it to me as simply as possible Phil," came Harry's eventual reply.

"Her left eye is practically closed from swelling and bruising; the nurse told me that she'd dislocated her shoulder, though it's back in place now apparently. She also told me that she has a few broken ribs, but she looks like a mass of bruises." Phil stopped, emotion catching up with him. It was one thing to see this sort of thing on TV in his favourite crime drama's, but it was another thing entirely to see someone you knew in this condition.

"Did he - " began Harry.

"No, Harry, he didn't. But Officer Rooks said that it took several shots to put him down."

"Good," said Harry fiercely.

"No argument from me either, though I think I'd rather have seen him rot in jail for the rest of his life; death is too easy in some respects," said Phil seriously.

"I know how you feel. Is she awake?"

"No, she's asleep at the moment Harry. The nurse said they'd given her morphine for the pain and that she passed out pretty quick after that, which they were surprised at; but then again, she's never experienced muggle drugs before, so it didn't surprise me at all."

"Phil, will you sit with her until she wakes up?" asked Harry.

"Sure Harry. I'll call you on the land-line when she wakes up," said Phil, feeling honoured, in a way, that Harry trusted him to stand guard over someone he cared about.

"Thanks Phil. I'll turn off the Communication Charm now. Talk to you later."

ooOOoo

_Around 4.00am…_

_Where was everyone? Tonks couldn't understand where everyone had gone. She was in total darkness and couldn't find her way to anywhere. She felt disorientated and strangely groggy. Why was she feeling this way?_

_From somewhere she heard a voice and wondered where it was coming from. She turned around in a circle and tried to see through the darkness, listening for direction._

_Suddenly she saw a light off in the distance and began to stumble towards it. She was scared and couldn't imagine why, but she felt her heart race, speed up and she felt very strange._

_The voice was getting louder now, but it remained soft and gentle, and this encouraged her._

"Tonks, it's me Phil. C'mon, time to wake up," came Phil's voice filtering through her brain and into her consciousness. "C'mon Tonks, it's okay. Don't be afraid. You're safe now." He watched as she stirred some more and then reached out and gently touched her arm. He didn't want to startle her at all, and he didn't know what state she would be in when she woke up.

She stirred and ever so slowly her eyes opened. Phil leaned over her so that he was in her line of vision and would see him straight away.

"Hi Tonks."

Tonks groaned and tried to sit up, but Phil gently held her down. "No, no, lie still. You've got broken ribs and your shoulder was dislocated. Do you remember?" He hated asking her that, but he wanted to check for memory loss.

Tonks shook nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"And who am I?" he asked.

"Phil," she cracked a smile. "I'm okay Phil, I haven't lost my memory."

"Okay, I was just checking. Although that might not be a bad thing after what you've just been through. Don't know how I was going to explain that to Harry and the guys, if you didn't remember anyone." He smiled and held her hand in his own, gently patting her arm.

"Where's..." Tonks paused momentarily. "Where's Remus?" Her voice cracked and tears sprang to her eyes.

"He's back at the apartment with everyone else," replied Phil.

"Is he okay?" she whispered.

"Well, according to Harry," Phil decided to play it straight and tell her the truth, "he went nuts when you were grabbed and we all heard you scream out, and though we couldn't see what was happening, we could hear it initially and it took Sirius, Harry, Bill _and_ Charlie, I think, to hold him back. And we felt awful about stopping him, Tonks. We really did."

"I know you, but you did the right thing," replied Tonks, wincing as she moved to get more comfortable, not that that was going to happen for a little while, she thought to herself, well, at least not until they got back home to England. "Say, where am i? St Mungo's? I mean I remember what happened, but I don't remember being brought here or losing consciousness."

"No, it was just the nearest muggle hospital," explained Phil.

Tonks's eyes grew wide and a bit fearful.

"No, it's fine Tonks, really," explained Phil hurriedly. "The nursing staff have taken good care of you. They gave you morphine - that's a muggle drug - and that's what knocked you out, for a couple of hours at least." At this explanation Tonks seemed to relax. "And my guess is that the reason you can't remember much after the assault, is because you went into shock." Phil cocked his head to one side, embarrassed. "I've watched so many medical dramas on muggle television - I've picked up all sorts of useless information."

Tonks was listening to Phil chatter on, grateful for his normalcy considering the circumstances. She smiled, as best she could. "Well, I'm glad you did, otherwise I think I'd be panicking right about now."

Phil smiled shyly. "Is it okay if I give Harry a call and let him know you're awake? He turned the Communication Charm off, but I thought I'd just call him at the apartment." Phil got out of his chair, stretching his legs after sitting for so long.

"Yeah, sure, but I don't want anyone coming down here, so tell Harry to make sure that Remus stays put. We don't want to complicate things further with too many visitors."

"No, that would probably be a bit suspicious. As far as they know, it's just you, me, Fred and Shane," explained Phil.

"Hey, have you had any sleep yet?" asked Tonks concerned for him.

"A little in the chair. Look, the apartment isn't far away. I'm going to pop into the nurses station, find a phone and get Shane or Fred to come over to take my place and then I'll go grab a few hours sleep."

"What time is it?" she asked feeling sleepy again.

"It's just after 4.00am. Why don't you get some more sleep?"

"Okay," said Tonks quietly, and then even as he was standing there, Phil watched her drift off again.

He quietly exited the room and went to ring Harry.


	36. Aftermath

**Chapter 36 Aftermath**

OoOOoo

_Sunday afternoon - 1.30pm_

11th December

"So, are we ready to go?" asked Ron, who was anxious to get home and have a good nights' sleep. 

"Yes, Ronniekins," mocked George teasingly, his voice permeating the haze of Ron's brain, "we're almost ready to go." 

The last couple of days had been exhausting. Ron collapsed onto the sofa and closed his eyes for a moment. 

_The hospital hadn't released Tonks until Saturday afternoon. After organising a taxi to take her to the 5th Street Precinct station, she met with the police officers who had responded to the 911 call on the Friday night, read and signed her statement, thanking them for saving her life. _

Phil was the one who accompanied her to the police station; she was quite upset by the process and they waited quietly for a few minutes before organising a taxi to take them back to the apartment. It was almost 6.00pm by the time they got there. 

Phil got out of the car first and put a hand out to help Tonks out of the cab. She may have looked a bit better than when he saw her in the early hours of Friday morning, but she still looked shaky. They walked slowly to the lifts and silently rode up to their level. When the doors slid open, a sight she hadn't expected greeted her. 

Everyone was waiting for her; all wizards present conjured up flowers, butterbeer and wizard treats for her. Tonks just stood there unable to speak, tears glistening in her eyes, until Remus moved forward and gently took her arm and helped her into the apartment where the group could finally have some privacy. 

Remus led Tonks to the sofa and helped her sit down; she gasped in pain, as her ribs were still quite painful, though they were bandaged up tightly. 

"May I suggest that the first order of business is to get some magic to heal you as best we can," said Remus gently. He was being careful not to react to what he was looking at; trying not to scrutinise too closely; in truth he was horrified at how she looked. 

She looked deathly pale; her left eye not as swollen as the first night, but still darkly bruised and half closed. Her right arm was in a sling to help rest the shoulder that had been dislocated. She had been remarkably lucky with her shoulder. Apart from her shoulder popping out, the x-rays showed no other signs of damage, which had been a huge relief. 

"I'll be fine Remus," began Tonks, when she was interrupted. 

"You know what Tonks?" whispered Remus quietly and very deliberately. "Now that you've done what you came here to do, you will now do as you are told, and no arguments. We're going to Apparate to St Mungo's here in New York and get you taken care of." 

"Why don't you lie down for a bit Tonks," suggested Harry, interrupting Remus before he lost the bit of control he had over himself, "it's going to take us a little while to organise leaving here, and to find out St Mungo's exact location so we all don't splinch Apparating there." 

He smiled, but his insides writhed sickeningly. This was his fault. Tonks looked more awful than Phil had described and she looked so frail now, where she'd never seemed that way before. He knew this would haunt him for some time to come. 

Remus led her down the little hallway to the bedroom she'd used before. Fred, Shane and Phil had spent their waking hours making sure it looked bright and colourful. They'd decorated it like the children's ward of a hospital. They'd utilised the internet café and the local Kinko's a photocopying/fax centre nearby to put laminated blowups of all sorts of muggle children's fantasy characters on the walls that they could, to make it bright and cheerful. 

Tonks's eyes widened in surprise. Everyone had followed her and Remus down the hall and as she stared around in delight, her eyes fell on all the boys men, she mentally corrected herself standing in the doorway. They looked so sombre, and it was a little heartbreaking. Guilt was written all over their faces. 

No one knew what to say. How do you thank someone for putting their life on the line like Tonks had? None of them could comprehend it, now that it had happened. And though Ginny's attacker was now dead, and couldn't harm anyone else now, it was still a difficult pill to swallow. 

"I'm really okay you know," began Tonks, her voice barely a whisper. Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to speak. "A little bit of magic and you won't see a thing. I'll be as good as new." Her voice hitched at the very end and she sank shakily to the bed, tears getting the better of her. 

In an instant everyone crowded around the bed, standing, sitting on the bed with her; Remus was closest, holding her hand - he spoke first. 

"Tonks," he began haltingly, his voice scratchy, shaky. "If we'd had any clue about what might happen, then we would** never** _ have let you do this, we would have let it go." He looked up at Sirius, standing by his side, and then around at everyone. _

"Nothing is worth it, to see you like this," added Harry, gritting his teeth. 

"We should never have even thought of it to begin with," began George, his voice pitched low and flat, almost unrecognisable. 

"It's our fault that you're hurt so badly," added Fred agreeing with his brother. 

"And I allowed you all to go ahead with it," said Harry, "I'm as much to blame." 

"Well, Remus and I feel just as much guilt. We're supposed to be the responsible ones after all," Sirius began. 

"Stop," interrupted Tonks, catching their attention. "Don't do that to yourselves. I don't want you all to carry the guilt of this for the rest of your lives." She looked at each of them in turn. "This was my decision too, and I knew exactly what I was getting into. I just…" her voice faded off, momentarily lost for words. "I just don't know how I'm going to turn up to work on Monday as if nothing happened this weekend. I mean how will any of us?" She began to cry again, covering her face with her hands; they had cuts and scrapes all over them - another vivid reminder of the price she had paid for them. 

Remus moved closer and wrapped his arms around her, rocking her gently as she sobbed in his arms, shaking. 

There wasn't a dry eye in the apartment that afternoon. 

ooOOoo

_So, after Tonks had rested and eaten a light dinner, they'd gone to St Mungo's. _

Whilst she'd slept Sirius and Harry had made a discreet visit. After a chat with the Healer in Charge for that evening, a rather brilliant witch by the name of Petula Metcalfe, she was happy to agree to the terms set down by them both. They would Apparate there around 8.00pm to a rear entrance and be led in by Security. Ms Metcalfe would then see to Tonks's injuries personally. Once Ms Metcalfe was satisfied that Tonks was healed to her personal satisfaction and that of Mr Potter's and Mr Black's, she had consented to having her and the security guards' memories wiped by Sirius, for everyone's sakes. 

So, armed with a few potions from Ms Metcalfe, for some of Tonks's internal injuries, they Apparated back to the apartment for what would hopefully be a good nights' sleep. 

Everyone, except Tonks who had been ordered by Remus to sit restfully, was just hastily packing their bags and then they'd be ready to leave the apartment. All the wizards, except Percy, were going to Apparate directly to the International Portkey Terminal. Percy and the Australian boys had discreetly left earlier and were going to portkey direct to the portkey terminal from a quiet location where no one would see them. In the meantime, Harry had gone downstairs to check out, and would then meet them all shortly. 

A short time later the remaining wizards were alone and ready to leave. In the blink of an eye, they Apparated to the International Portkey Terminal where they grabbed a drink whilst waiting for Harry, who would probably take 30 minutes to arrive. He had to check out of the apartment and pay the bill; he then wanted to get to Gringott's of New York so he could change his US dollars into wizard money with goblins who knew the local currency. 

A few Butterbeers later, Harry arrived and they made their way to their assigned room to return to England. 

Bill looked around at the group. There was an apprehensive air surrounding them; a nervousness. He knew what they were all feeling. It was going to be hard, after what they'd just been through, to simply go back and pretend they'd been home alone for the weekend without their partners. 

Each of them were feeling the weight of what had occurred. Tonks hadn't said much since she'd been released from hospital - though she had spent some time with Harry, Sirius and Remus, individually, since her return. In fact, Remus had remained at her bedside while she slept Saturday night. 

Bill guessed that she was possibly having nightmares, but if she was, she was being brave about it, and no doubt Remus had cast a charm in the event of that possibility. 

Sirius and Remus had agreed that she should take a week off work, as would Remus, and though he would still have to teach at Hogwarts, he wouldn't return to the Ministry until the week after. 

They were all bone tired. It would be good to get home. 

ooOOoo

_2.01pm Sunday 11th December International Portkey Terminal, London_

It was a quiet group that walked out of the Portkey Terminal. After everyone had hugged each other goodbye, and new tears were shed, everyone Apparated to their respective homes; Percy to collect Leo from a friends place unbeknownst to Penny and in complete secrecy; the twins back to Diagon Alley with the Aussies; Ron to Hogwarts; Harry to The Notch; Sirius to Lupin Lodge and Remus and Tonks went to her place just outside Whitehaven, on the west coast. 

ooOOoo

_3.15pm Sunday_

"I wonder what the boys have been up to all weekend?" mused Angelina, smiling as she packed her toiletries into her overnight bag and slung it over her shoulder. 

"Well let's just hope that were thoughtful enough to get Tonks away from work at some point over the weekend, no matter what they got up to," remarked Penny. 

"They've probably been playing Quidditch to their hearts content, and having drinking contests down the pub," said Katie smiling. 

"Oui, I don't doubt that," smiled Fleur. "But I think eet is good for dem to catch up like that every now and den; everyone is so busy, and with Ginny and Harry returning to Melbourne again after the 'olidays," she paused for a moment, looking at Ginny sincerely. "Your brothers missed you so much whilst you were away. I know they are thrilled to have you home again, even if it's just for a short stay. And I think it's wonderful that you are studying something you love, Ginny." 

"Thanks Fleur." It had been a wonderful weekend with her sister-in-laws. It was so funny to think of them like that. A bond had been formed over the weekend that Ginny hoped would hold true for the rest of their lives. The girls had been so understanding about her absence, and Anne and Emily had helped to explain things as well, from their perspective about what had happened to her, and in turn her sister-in-laws had shown sides of themselves that Ginny hadn't discovered before; a level of intelligence, caring and intuitiveness about people and life that Ginny, as the youngest, truly appreciated, given what she'd been through in the last couple of years. 

"Well, I say we make this a regular thing," said Hermione cheekily. 

Everyone looked at her a little shocked. It had been wonderful to see Hermione truly let her hair down over the weekend. 

"What? I think we should. Though to be fair, we should send the boys away next time. I mean even if it only happened in the holidays because of my teaching schedule, and we took it in turns. I mean even with the boys away for the weekend, we could do what I'm sure they've done and get together and just hang out. Family is so important, and we've become more than just family over the weekend don't you think?" Hermione finished her speech, a little out of breath, smiling. 

"I totally agree," Penelope said perfunctorily. "Well, shall we get going, the boys are going to think we're never coming home!" 

And with that, the girls collected their bags and left the 'muggle' spa resort and caught The Underground and then walked to the Leaky Cauldron before Apparating back to their respective homes. 

ooOOoo

_2.10pm Sunday Tonks's home - somewhere on the west coast of England_

Remus was nervous. 

Though he'd spent some time alone with Tonks in New York, he'd been too worried about her physical state to stop fussing over her and making sure that her trip to St Mungo's had been taken care of, and then watching over her whilst she slept, to stop for any sort of personal conversation. 

Everyone had instinctively let him and Tonks have some space and privacy, for which he had been grateful. 

They'd spoken about what had happened to her; he'd let her cry when she needed to; she'd spoken of her fears, of how strong the attacker was, of how guilty she felt when he'd been shot, the sight of him lying there dead, blood everywhere. It was this image that she couldn't shake from her memory when she closed her eyes to sleep. 

As soon as they arrived, Tonks immediately took her bags upstairs whilst Remus went into the kitchen to organise a cup of tea for her. 

As he moved around the unfamiliar kitchen, his mind churned over something he had been wanting to ask Tonks about for some time. He heard her coming back down the stairs and took her tea into the sitting room. 

As he stood in the doorway, he thought again how pale and frail she looked. He moved towards her and gave her the tea. 

"Thanks Remus, that is just what I need," said Tonks quietly. 

"Well, I think a cuppa and some more sleep certainly wouldn't go astray," said Remus, not sure how to ask the question he wanted to ask. 

A comment that Sirius had made to him before they'd left for New York flashed into his mind. _"Anyone would think you hadn't spent seven years in Gryffindor!" _ It was such a typical Sirius comment and it had had the right affect. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. 

"That's a big sigh," commented Tonks smiling. 

"There's something I wanted to ask you, or, let you know, rather," began Remus. He shook his fears from his mind and plunged forward, remaining standing. "I know you were in my office that day and I know that's how you figured out what was going on." He paused for a moment. "And I assume you read the letter I wrote as well." Remus fell silent. 

Tonks went very still. She gently put her teacup on the table, her hands shaking, and looked up at Remus, shocked. "How did you know?" 

Remus smiled. "I could smell your perfume. You really shouldn't wear it when you're on a stakeout." 

Tonks was confused. He didn't seem angry or upset; he seemed amused if anything. "I don't understand. Why aren't you angry with me?" 

"What for?" 

"For spying on you!" she cried, wringing her hands together. She continued on nervously, her eyes darting everywhere, except at Remus. "I'm sorry Remus. I don't know what got into me. I honestly couldn't help myself and I was so angry at you - " she was rambling, not watching him at all, " - and… do you know what it's like to love someone and hate them all at the same time! That's how I felt!" She fell silent, her eyes unfocused. "I'm not even sure what I was thinking when I left home that morning. It was a very out-of-body experience… at least right up until I saw Harry and Sirius striding down the same corridor as myself, and then curiosity just got the better of me." 

She paused, looked Remus bravely in the eye, "I'm so sorry Remus, I had no right to do what I did, and you are correct, I did read the letter you wrote, and I sincerely apologise for that. It was private and none of my business." She dropped her eyes down to her lap, where her hands had finally come to rest. 

Remus slowly moved to sit next to her on the settee. He couldn't explain why, but he felt completely at ease. Maybe it was seeing her step into a foreign world unwaveringly - a danger quite unknown - and all for men whose ego's needed justice and for Ginny who would never know what she had suffered to exact that justice on their behalf. 

He bravely and gently picked up her hands with his own; their eyes met - the silence was electrifying. "You had every right to see it, and if I were a true Gryffindor, not only would I have finished it and given it to you, but I should have had the courage to tell you." 

Tonks eyes grew wide in surprise. Although he'd been incredibly protective of her since she'd come back from hospital, she knew he'd been shocked by her appearance - he'd hidden it from everyone else, but at close quarters, she'd detected the look of horror at the injuries he could see at a glance. Being in love with Remus had made her super-sensitive to him, and recently she had begun to detect and interpret even the slightest change in his expressions. 

She went to say something, but Remus stopped her. "I love you, and I'm so sorry that I hurt you at Ron and Hermione's wedding, I just - " 

"Don't apologise Remus. You're human; more than you'll ever admit to yourself, and we all make mistakes." And, knowing what is was that he really needed to hear from her, she continued. "I love you so much, and I'll always be yours, no matter what." 

There was silence for a moment, then they both smiled and Remus gathered her in an embrace and held her close, wishing they could remain that way forever. 

"Now, I've just got one more thing to say," said Tonks, lifting her head from his shoulder. 

"And what's that my darling Nymphadora?" 

"Okay, two things. One, promise me you won't call me that in public, okay?" Her eyes lit up, sparkling, teasing. 

"And two?" Remus waited patiently, wondering if this was real. He had a strong urge to pinch himself, but somehow managed to restrain himself. 

"Can we go to bed now, and just sleep? I'm knackered," Tonks said simply. 

She stood up and held out her hand to Remus, who stood up, their bodies just touching. He leaned his forehead against her, whispering, "Are you sure you just want to sleep?" 

"Yeah, otherwise I'll have no energy for anything else!" she quipped, smiling up at him.

"Okay, but just one more thing before that." Remus tugged on her hand and pulled her towards him with a sigh of satisfaction. He looked down at the woman who had captured his heart forever… and he bent to capture her lips tenderly, wondering how he'd ever managed without her in his life before. 

Tonks settled into Remus's embrace. After all the heartache, her prayers had been answered. And as she clung to him, he lifted her off her feet and continued up the stairs. 


	37. Confronting the Truth

**Chapter 37**

**Confronting the Truth**

ooOOoo

The days leading up to Christmas flew by quickly. The students at Hogwarts were treated with visits from Harry Potter and Sirius Black in their Defence classes; the Aussie boys spent the week exploring Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade with Emily and Ginny and everyone else kept themselves busy preparing for Christmas Day with work, shopping, wrapping presents and for the visitors, lots of time relaxing and catching up on their sleep.

The night of their return from New York the boys and Tonks had agreed on their 'stories' to their partners. The girls had guessed correctly; apparently the boys had spent the weekend at The Notch, playing Quidditch, chess and drinking the odd bottle of Firewhisky or Goldie's Liquid Curse.

With an owl to everyone, they all got together that same Sunday night at The Burrow. Though the boys and Tonks were exhausted, they could hardly refuse. What excuse could they give? It turned out to be a good evening, despite their exhaustion. It seemed as though the girls had had a wonderful weekend at the spa and they made Tonks promise that work or no work, she was coming on the next girls weekend.

Of course, what was most surprising about that Sunday evening, to everyone, was that Remus and Tonks arrived together. No one said a word, but Harry and Sirius in particular were smirking throughout the evening.

'_At least something good has come from our trip to New York_,' Harry thought to himself.

So a week after the New York trip things seemed to settle down again.

ooOOoo

_3.00am Friday 16th December… Whitehaven Tonks's home_

Tonks was running. _She turned around to see where her attacker was and an arm came towards her through the darkness. She stumbled and fell and as she scrabbled backwards out of its reach she came up against a dumpster. The arm reached for her and grabbed her…_

"No!" cried out Tonks sitting up in bed suddenly.

"Tonks?" asked Remus startled awake by her cry. He sat up quickly and put his arms around her. She was shaking and shivering as if she was cold; but she wasn't. She felt as though she had a fever. He knew it would go away in time, but it was awful to see her so frightened by a dream. He'd offered to make the Dreamless Sleep potion a few days ago, but Tonks had refused.

"_I'm an Auror. What would everyone think if they knew I couldn't handle a few nightmares?"_

She'd been adamant... and had been having nightmares every night since the attack in New York.

"Shhhh," soothed Remus. "I'm here, it's okay, I won't let anyone hurt you. You're safe again, Tonks."

Tonks wept into his chest, shaking. She took deep, ragged breaths, angry at herself for not having got past this already.

"Shhhh, it's okay," whispered Remus into her hair. "You're safe, I'm here…" Remus kept whispering soothingly to Tonks as he gently stroked her back, feeling the panic ebb away from her, feel the rhythm of her breathing settle again. He laid her back down and scrutinised her features carefully. Her eyes were closed, but tears were running down her cheeks. His heart clutched painfully in his chest to see her affected like this.

As her body relaxed again, Tonks opened her eyes to see Remus looking down at her, his face guilt ridden; of course this just made her cry again.

It seemed a never-ending cycle, one that neither of them were quite sure how to navigate, despite having previously survived dark times before.

It was another hour before Tonks settled back into a restful, undisturbed sleep.

ooOOoo

_4.00am_

At the same time in The Notch, Harry was wide awake - also unable to sleep.

He rolled onto his side to watch Ginny sleeping peacefully, a smile playing on her lips. Harry wondered fleetingly what she was dreaming about; though he wasn't really concerned since she wasn't having nightmares anymore.

Ironically, things in that respect seemed to have turned on their head; whereas before Ginny was the one with nightmares and no sleep, it was now Harry that was experiencing sleepless nights.

And though he felt some measure of closure after what had happened in New York - Ginny's rapist certainly couldn't harm anyone ever again - Harry was confused that his mind couldn't seem to let go of it. His mind kept playing things over in his head again and again. Though he hadn't seen the attack, he knew that Remus had heard most of it, and watching Remus listen to it had been horrible enough. And compounding that was an enormous amount of guilt over Tonks and what she had suffered.

He silently wondered, as he watched Ginny sleep, if he would ever stop acting rashly or selfishly as an adult. And though they had all said that they wouldn't have pursued this course of action if they'd known what was going to happen to Tonks, Harry even questioned this. They had all been so determined to make themselves feel better about what had happened to Ginny, and completely selfish to that end, that they hadn't really thought about what the consequences of their actions might have been.

Harry couldn't even image how Tonks was coping, if _he _was having trouble sleeping. He was just glad that Tonks now had Remus to confide in and take care of her. He'd seen her a couple of times during the week, and could read the tell-tale signs of lack of proper, restful sleep; knew it from his own and Ginny's experience too.

Knowing he wasn't going to be able to sleep, he quietly got out of bed and softly padded out to the lounge room. Summoning quill, ink and parchment, Harry sat down and without really thinking about it, wrote a letter to Professor Dumbledore. Though he hated to confide in anyone outside of the group that were involved, he suspected that Dumbledore would have something to say on the matter that would help put him at ease, or at least give him some clarity on the situation.

Without thinking too much about it, he finished writing the letter and called out softly to Hedwig, who was in her cage above the fireplace, and sent her off. He checked his watch: 4.06am. Time to try and sleep again. He slipped back into bed, all without waking Ginny, and moments later he was asleep.

ooOOoo

_8.00am Friday 16th December…_

_Tap, tap… tap, tap, tap… _ Harry tossed and turned in his sleep, wanting to stave off the time where he had to wake up and get up. He forced his eyes open, wondering what had woken him.

As he began to waken up more fully, he sat up to hear the _tap, tap, tap…_ again and turned his head to see a beautiful, glossy brown owl at the window. He got out of bed and opened the window for the owl, who flew in and then after landing on the bedside table, stuck his foot out so that Harry could untie the note that was attached to it, and then gracefully turned and flew back out the window to return home.

Harry opened the envelope to read a note from Professor Dumbledore.

"Harry?" asked Ginny sleepily. "Who's that from?"

_Morning Harry,_

_Apologies for waking you when you apparently didn't get a lot of sleep last night, but I wanted to reply as early as possible._

_In case Ginny is asking what's going on, tell her it's a note from me inviting you to a meeting tonight at Hogwarts - to discuss some business._

"It's a note from Professor Dumbledore. He's inviting me to a meeting at Hogwarts tonight to discuss some business."

_If Ginny wants to come, she would be very welcome as a dinner guest in the Great Hall and then she and Professor Weasley will have a chance to catch up and also for Professor Weasley to show off her classroom._

"That sounds interesting. Can I come?" she smiled at him impishly.

"Yes, sure," replied Harry, trying to sound as normal as possible. "He says you're welcome to be a guest at dinner and then Hermione and you can catch up and reminisce for however long the meeting goes for."

"Does he say what it's about?"

"No, so it could be anything," said Harry, thinking quickly, "he's probably just wondering when I'm going to get back to work after having flittered around the world for three years." He looked her adoringly and smiled.

_Meet me in the Room of Requirement at dinner time. See you then._

_Warm regards,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

"Well, yes, that's not a bad idea you know," laughed Ginny. "I can't have you living off the money I make from my music career you know! That just wouldn't be fair Mr Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes, not rising to the bait. "I'm just going to reply to Dumbledore, to let him know we'll both be there."

Leaving the bedroom and heading towards the lounge room, Harry sat down and quickly scribbled a reply. He sat by himself, nervous… he always got nervous to some extent when he was in Dumbledore's presence and tonight's meeting would be even more alarming than usual, for Harry.

He felt a little queasy, as he listened to Ginny in the kitchen; then he heard Ron's solid footsteps padding down the hallway to the kitchen and their usual bickering began. It was nice to hear the chatter, as he'd missed it whilst he'd been searching for Ginny, but it was also nice that for half the week, Ron stayed with Hermione at Hogwarts. It was a good arrangement for both of them; they got to be alone in her quarters at Hogwarts and when he was home with Harry and Ginny, Hermione could catch up on marking homework for her classes. So it worked great, because both couples got private time.

"Hey Harry, breakfast is ready!" yelled Ron from the kitchen.

ooOOoo

"I'll see you later," said Harry as he kissed Ginny goodbye at the entrance to the Great Hall, as Professor Weasley came down the staircase. He waved goodbye to them both as they wandered into the Great Hall, amidst a lot of whispering and staring.

"Evening Mr Potter!" cried out Jeremy, an enthusiastic student who looked like he was in first year, he was so tiny. He ran down the staircase and reached Harry in a flash.

"Evening Jeremy," replied Harry, smiling. "How's your Petrificus Totalus spell coming along?"

"I've almost got it," replied Jeremy, who was fairly bopping up and down on his heels in excitement to be talking to the famous Harry Potter.

"That's great. Just keep practicing, and remember what I said about the essence of magic?" Harry had enjoyed teaching DADA and especially the interaction with the students.

"Yes, sir. I have the power within me, I just have to learn how to focus it," recited Jeremy, smiling widely.

"Exactly," grinned Harry. Jeremy had just quoted him verbatim and it was a nice feeling. "Now, you should get in to dinner."

"Are you staying too?" Jeremy asked eagerly. "I saw Miss Weasley go in with Professor Weasley just a few moments ago.

"Yes, but I'm meeting with Professor Dumbledore. But how about you go up to Ginny and give her a message for me."

Jeremy's eyes opened so wide, they looked like they were about to pop out of his head. "Sure Mr Potter."

"Tell her that Mr Potter wanted to remind her to eat her vegetables, or she'll get in trouble," considered Harry with a straight face. "Go on."

He watched as Jeremy fairly ran the length of the Great Hall to the teachers' table and watched as he excused himself to Ginny and then give her the message. As he watched, Ginny stood up, grabbed her wand and pointed it down the hall aiming at Harry through the massive doors of the Great Hall, who ducked as the Bat Bogey Hex zoomed over his head and hit Mr Filch who had, right at that moment, approached the Hall and was standing right behind him.

Harry stood up and grinned at Ginny, who, along with Hermione and staff and students, was laughing hysterically, and removed the spell from Mr Filch, apologising profusely.

Mr Filch went back to his office, muttering how ex-students shouldn't _ever_ be allowed back into the school again.

With a nod to Ginny and Hermione and a "Thanks Jeremy!" Harry left the Great Hall behind and went to upstairs to the Room of Requirement.

As he walked past the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy and the dancing trolls, a doorway appeared to Harry. He opened it and went through.

ooOOoo

"So, how's teaching going Hermione?"

Ginny and Hermione were chatting together at the end of the teachers table. Professor McGonagall had invited Ginny to catch up with the staff properly after dinner in the Teacher's Lounge, so that Hermione and she could chat away during dinner.

"I'm really loving it, Ginny," Hermione replied seriously. "I mean, I knew I'd enjoy it, but I guess I was always worried about how I'd go as a teacher, how I'd relate to the students, whether they'd like me, if I'd be any good at it."

Ginny's mouth just dropped in surprise. She'd never heard Hermione sound so unsure about her teaching before.

Seeing the look on Ginny's face, Hermione explained. "Oh, I'm not being deliberately self deprecating - though admittedly it sounds like it." She paused, smiling. "It's just been a steep learning curve, and with the fame attached to knowing you and Harry, and my part in the downfall of Voldemort… well let's just say it's been an interesting year so far."

Ginny nodded understandingly. She knew all about having an interesting year. She felt surprisingly content sitting in the Great Hall, though she'd never had this view before. She and Hermione finished dinner and wandered over to the Gryffindor table to sit and chat with the students.

ooOOoo

Harry closed the door to the Room of Requirement behind him and looked around in surprise.

Standing around the room was the entire male Weasley clan except Arthur, the three Aussie boys, Remus, Sirius and Tonks.

"Oh, not you too!" said George in disgust.

"What?" responded Harry. "I'm just here for a - "

" - meeting with Dumbledore," muttered Ron sardonically. "Yes, we know."

Harry looked confused, not understanding what was going on, until it suddenly dawned on him…

"There you go!" cried Charlie exasperatedly, pointing at Harry and then snapping his fingers. "He figured it out a damn sight quicker than the rest of you lot."

"You didn't Harry, did you?" asked Ron, his brow furrowed and crossed his arms.

"Well, I obviously wasn't the only one," shot back Harry, not looking amused.

"Would someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?" snapped Sirius, who was, along with Remus and Tonks, looking thoroughly confused.

Harry turned to his godfather, his arms crossed over his chest and, his voice defeated, explained how he had written to Dumbledore last night seeking advice and had been invited to meet with him tonight.

"And I can only assume that everyone else wrote as well, seeking advice," said Harry shrugging his shoulders. "But if that's the case, how did you get here Sirius?"

"I received an owl from him around midday today requesting that I attend a meeting tonight."

"As did Tonks and I," Remus interposed smoothly.

"But you three didn't write to him?" asked Bill, his brow knotted in confusion.

"Nope," replied Sirius.

"Did anyone tell him what it was about?" asked Shane quizzically.

"And how did you get here?" interrupted Percy looking at the three Aussie boys curiously.

"Well, Dumbledore came over to The Burrow under the pretence of needing to speak to Arthur and he discreetly gave us a portkey and a note with directions on it, which told us when it would be activated and where it would bring us and that he would meet us at the main entrance," explained Phil.

"And no Shane, I didn't mention what it was about specifically," Harry sighed, everyone else nodding their heads in agreement.

"But he must have figured it out or why else would Tonks have been asked to come tonight," Bill suggested.

"And figure it out I did," said a soft, gentle voice from somewhere behind Harry.

Harry turned around and into the room came Professor Dumbledore, his sweeping robes as fancy and elegant as always, his wizard's hat nicely crooked, his eyes twinkling and kind.

With a flick of his wrist, the lighting became brighter to illuminate a number of couches, beanbags and comfy chairs off to one side. Inclining his head, Professor Dumbledore indicated that everyone should take a seat. Once everyone was seated, he conjured his own special comfy, chintz chair and sat down, gazing around somewhat expectantly at the group before him.

"I must say, if your situation weren't so serious, this would be quite amusing you know," remarked Dumbledore amiably. "To have received so many communications in one week is just about unheard of, even with my busy schedule and commitments outside of Hogwarts, but then again," he paused, looking at all of them in turn, his voice softening, "you are a remarkable group of men, and you too Nymphadora."

"I feel I should be the one to explain, Albus," Sirius began haltingly.

Harry grinned to himself. Was there anyone who _didn't_ get nervous in Dumbledore's presence?

"About what?" asked Professor Dumbledore surprised. "It only took a little detective work to deduce what has happened and why you then all felt compelled to seek advice on how best to go forward."

Everyone was silent. They looked at each other, unsure of how to proceed, when Professor Dumbledore spoke again.

"The need for revenge is powerful, and though I'm not comparing any of you to Voldemort, I will use him as an example.

"His downfall was a direct result of his inability to foresee the consequences of his actions. He couldn't see past his need for revenge against Harry. But he had no conscience, no heart or soul," continued Professor Dumbledore somberly. "And though you couldn't have foreseen the consequences of your actions, I know you were ultimately driven out of love and loyalty to Ginny and to each other."

The twins fiddled with their shoelaces. Harry and Sirius hung their heads in shame, and everyone else just looked lost.

"Again, I do not compare anyone in this room to Voldemort. No. I would never disrespect what you have accomplished in that way. You are an exceptional group of people, including all your wives and girlfriends, and you deserve to move on from the darkness in your lives." Professor Dumbledore finished speaking and looked at all of them in turn.

"The reason I asked Tonks to be here this evening, is not to add more guilt on your shoulders. This is her journey too now and she will heal easier if she knows that you are all healing and moving on too."

Harry risked a glance at Tonks, whose eyes were bright, and her little, pale hand was clasped tightly in Remus's. He leaned over and caught her other hand in his, squeezing it gently, before letting go.

"So, let us get down to it, shall we?" continued Professor Dumbledore easily. "I know you all feel guilt about Nymphadora; you all feel responsible for the events that took place in New York. You are all angry at what happened to Ginny, though probably not as angry as Harry feels about it." He paused momentarily, glancing at each of them in turn.

"I know you all want me to say something to make you feel better, not only about what's happened, but to confirm that your actions were just and right. I know you want guidance to help you all to move forward, to move on in your lives as you all have a right to do." Another pause.

"But I can't."

The only ones who didn't looked totally shocked were Sirius and Remus. Even Tonks looked a little stunned at Professor Dumbledore's statement. No one moved a muscle, until Ron suddenly moved. "What do you mean, you can't?"

"Ron!" Percy exclaimed. "Remember who you're talking to."

"It's alright Percy," Professor Dumbledore said, smiling just a little. "I did anticipate this reaction."

"I'm sorry Professor," apologised Ron, "but why bring us here only to tell us that you can't help us?" He locked eyes with the wise wizard trying to figure out what he was thinking. "Or is it that you _won't_ help us?"

Fred and George looked at their younger brother in surprise… the little pearls of wisdom he was coming out with were quite surprising. However, it did serve to remind them that he was an adult now too - and married at that.

"Your insight is scaring the hell out of us Ron," Fred joked.

"Anyone would think you were a grown man," George added, grinning.

"Are you two ever serious about anything?" asked Bill, who couldn't believe he was still related to the twins.

"Of course!" admonished Fred, acting hurt. Then he sobered immediately. "We're not sleeping either, remember?"

"If you've finished," interrupted Percy, getting irritated by the bantering of his siblings. "Please let Professor Dumbledore finish." Everyone looked back to their former Headmaster.

"Well, I guess that _won't_ is probably more accurate."

"Why?" asked Harry quietly, effectively silencing further comments.

"You know why. You already know the answer to the question, Harry," replied Professor Dumbledore gently, serenely folding his hands in his lap, returning Harry's penetrating gaze.

There was silence as everyone contemplated this statement and watched for Harry's reaction to it. It was probably a full two minutes before Harry shifted in his beanbag at Tonks's feet and spoke again.

"You really think we should?' he asked Dumbledore.

"Yes, I do," came the quiet response from the Professor.

"What? What is it Harry?" asked Charlie somewhat urgently.

"The only way that we can move forward," replied Harry, watching Professor Dumbledore whilst he spoke, "is to tell Ginny what we've done, because it's not what we've done as much as the fact that we are keeping it from her and therein lies the weight of the guilt we're all feeling; because we know we'll feel it every time we see Tonks and we'll know that we're hiding something from Ginny every time we see her. The only way to absolve ourselves from the guilt of everything is to be honest with her about what we've done."

"Bloody hell," Ron exclaimed, "you've got to be joking?"

"No, he's not," said Sirius, seriously. "Albus and Harry are right. We have somehow managed to disregard the most important factor of all - Ginny."

"I know this is going to be difficult for all of you," Dumbledore spoke again, addressing all of them in turn, "and it will mean reliving it again for everyone present tonight, especially for you Tonks. When Ginny learns of what has been done of her behalf - she will want details and she deserves truth and honesty from everyone. I think it would be wise for both of you, Tonks, to talk about these events at length. Nothing like a good therapy session to help cure all ills." Professor Dumbledore stood and gazed at the group serenely, a gentle, caring smile lighting his features.

"Now I would like to see Harry, Sirius, Remus and Tonks in private after this meeting if you have time," he looked at them enquiringly. They nodded their agreement.

"I want you all to remember something," he paused as if trying to formulate what he wanted to say next very carefully. "You are an extraordinary group of people, who have endured an extraordinary amount in their relatively short lives. I hold you all in the highest regard, including our Australian friends, for what you have done. I know you did this with hearts pure and full of good intentions and that is how Ginny will see it, eventually. As will all your partners. Expect fireworks…" his eyes twinkled, "tears," the corner of his mouth cricked up in the tiniest of smirks, "and then expect gratitude for the wonderful men that you are. Don't dwell on this too long," Dumbledore reminded them, "you all have so much yet to do in your lives," he paused and then as he got to the door he turned to face them once more.

"If for no other reason, don't you all want to get past this to see Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup this year? It's been a wonderful season so far." He smiled genially at everyone; care and affection for them showing clearly on his older, mature features. "I'll be in my office whenever you're ready," he added, speaking to Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Harry. "Oh and one more thing." Everyone waited, wondering what else there was to say. "My only suggestion is that you tell each of your partners privately and not as a group. I would avoid a group discussion purely for emotional reasons. The rest will fall into place and then all will be right in the world.

"Ron if you could let Ginny know that Harry will be a little longer, that would be most appreciated." And on that note, Professor Dumbledore opened the door and walked out of the Room of Requirements and left the group alone.


	38. Apologies

**Chapter 38**

**Apologies**

ooOOoo

"I'm a dead man," moaned Ron.

"Be serious would you?" snapped Charlie.

"I'm seriously a dead man?" Ron joked, trying to smile, but not quite making it.

"Shane, Phil, consider yourself lucky enough not to have girlfriends who are witches," grumbled Charlie.

"Well, I guess we should go," said Aussie Fred standing up. "If we stay and wander around Hogwarts we run the risk of running into Ginny and Hermione and what excuse do we give for all being in the same place at the same time. The whole 1:1 suggestion goes right out the window."

"Fred's got a point," mused Sirius. "Ron - "

"That's right. Leave it to me to control the one with the temper," he grumbled as his brothers laughed at him.

"Just keep her busy until we've finished speaking with Dumbledore," instructed Sirius as he, Remus and Tonks left the room.

"Ron, how did you explain your disappearance from dinner tonight?" asked Harry curiously.

"Told her I was working late," replied Ron simply. "Though you realise I'm going to be hung twice, even for the little lie I told tonight."

Bill smacked Ron in the arm jokingly. "Ron, relax! You'll be fine. We all will." As the eldest Bill felt he should be the one to reassure everyone now that Sirius and Remus had left the room.

"Dumbledore's right. All our wives and girlfriends are strong women and that's part of the reason why we love them. They won't take kindly to being lied to or being misled, but they'll understand if we give them room to react first." Bill paused. "Let's get out of here and go home. Ron, if you could go and occupy the girls for another 15 minutes, at least, then that will give us time to get the Aussie boys off the property and portkey them safely home and for us all to leave discreetly without being seen by Ginny or Hermione."

With assurances to update each other once they had all had their respective conversations, the group disbanded; Harry and Ron left first, going their separate ways. Five minutes later the Aussies left accompanied by Percy, and then everyone else left one by one, their brains full of what they had to do, in order to move forward.

ooOOoo

Harry made his way towards Dumbledore's office, wondering what else the Headmaster wanted to discuss with him.

As he approached the gargoyle that protected the entrance to the Headmaster's office, he saw that the others were standing in front of it. They turned as they heard his footsteps.

"Why haven't you gone up yet?" asked Harry curiously.

"Can't," responded Sirius. "Don't have the password."

As Sirius spoke the gargoyle suddenly moved and the staircase began to rotate. "It's uncanny how he knows we're all here. Sometimes I think he's got his own version of the Marauders Map handy," said Sirius.

Without question, all four stepped onto the stairs one at a time and let it wind them up to the top, where they stepped off and approached Professor Dumbledore's office.

Harry politely knocked. "Come in," came Professor Dumbledore's melodic voice. "It's nice to see you've retained your manners after all your travels and adventures, Harry," mused the Professor as the door swung open.

Harry simply nodded and moved into Dumbledore's office. Albus conjured up chairs for everyone and invited them all to sit down, waiting for them to be settled before he spoke.

"Nymphadora," he began gently, his hands clasped together, leaning forward on his desk, "I know you're an independent young woman and Auror and I know that you feel as though you have to be tough and strong in a male dominated profession," Professor Dumbledore paused, his bright eyes piercing hers intensely, "but I think it is time that you took something to help you sleep."

Tonks opened her mouth to protest, but Dumbledore raised his hand to silence her.

"I know your concerns about taking it, and I know you have fears about becoming addicted to it, but I think I have solved that problem for you." Dumbledore stood up and went to one of his cabinets that lined the inside wall of his office and opened the glass pane door to take a crystal bottle from the topmost shelf.

"I have, completely coincidentally, been working with the potion makers at St Mungo's on a sleeping draught that _isn't_ addictive. It has taken many years and some interesting experiments," here Dumbledore smiled genially, "but it has finally been perfected and has been in use at St Mungo's for a few years now."

"Why haven't we heard anything about this?" asked Sirius, looking bewildered and curious.

"Well, though this potion is completely safe, making it has some pitfalls and the Ministry decided that it should be kept in the hands of the potion makers at St Mungo's and was only to be used in certain circumstances. The Ministry and St Mungo's drew up the guidelines for its use and it has thus far been successful," explained Albus.

"Since when have the Ministry been so conscientious?" asked Harry dryly. "Or did things really change whilst I was away?"

"It has taken some time Harry, but things really have changed. And though it took a while for our current Minister to come to grips with life after Voldemort, his policies and changes are sound and making a difference." Professor Dumbledore handed the bottle to Tonks, who was still silent, looking a little stunned. "I have explained your situation to the Head Healer at St Mungo's, Nymphadora, who has given me permission to let you have this."

He knelt on one knee and look at up Tonks, his eyes kind and wise. He covered her hands with both of his. "Don't question it Nymphadora. You need sleep; your brain and body need relief from your present torment and a chance to heal. This potion will give you that. Don't punish yourself any longer my dear." He gave her hand a final pat and stood up.

"Harry, Sirius, if you both could stay a moment longer, I would be most grateful."

At that, Tonks and Remus stood and moved to the doorway. Tonks turned back for a moment, her eyes locked with Professor Dumbledore's. He simply inclined his head and smiled gently.

Blinking away fresh tears, Tonks moved through the open doorway to Remus who was waiting patiently for her, and quietly closed the door.

ooOOoo

Ron opened the door to the staff room, taking a deep breath in before entering the room. As the door swung open, Hermione and Ginny turned at the sound, grinning broadly when they saw him.

"Where have you been?" asked Hermione.

"Working late, remember?" said Ron crossing the room to give his wife a kiss. "Didn't you get my owl?"

"Yes, but, oh I don't know, I just didn't expect you to miss dinner that's all," said Hermione wistfully, before brightening up. "But you have missed out on some fun though."

"Yeah, Hermione and I have been reminiscing about our Hogwarts days," giggled Ginny. "Hey, Harry's here too, meeting with Dumbledore."

"Oh, is he?" asked Ron innocently. "Well, I hope he pops down here after his meeting. Maybe we could go and play some nighttime Quidditch whilst he's here?"

"Now that would be fun," replied Hermione dryly, "given how useless I am on a broom."

"Actually, I just feel like wandering around the castle, don't you?" mused Ginny. "I mean, imagine being able to wander around after hours and **not** get detention - brilliant!" She and Hermione collapsed into giggles, with Ron just looking at them, lost for words.

ooOOoo

Harry couldn't believe his ears.

He sat stunned, in Dumbledore's office, totally floored at the offer that had just been made to him and Sirius.

Sirius, who at that moment looked more excited than anything, clapped Harry on the back, startling him into a response.

"Thank you, sir," was the only response Harry could come up with.

"Albus, that's a very generous offer," began Sirius.

"I just thought it would give you something to think about Harry," mused Professor Dumbledore. "I don't know what other aspirations you have. I know that between Voldemort during your school years and your search for Ginny since then… well now that she is safe and sound again… well when it comes to the Dark Arts, you're one of the best."

Dumbledore rested his fingertips together on the desk, wondering what Harry would say. "And of course Sirius, I can think of no one more qualified to be teacher here next year, if you like," added Albus.

Harry was still sitting mute, still not quite believing his luck. Professor Dumbledore had, in co-operation with the Melbourne Academy of Magic, somehow arranged for him to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts there for the remainder of Ginny's music course - allowing him and Ginny to live and work together in Melbourne. It was the perfect solution and Harry had been wondering what he was going to do over the next couple of years, but hadn't wanted to worry about it until after Christmas.

"And I realise, Sirius, that you have other considerations in your life, now that Anne is a part of your life, and I'm confident that the Ministry would be able to work out an exchange for her to come and work in our Ministry, should she wish to and also should you wish to, unless of course you both wish to stay in Australia with Harry and Ginny."

They both sat there, simply taking in what he had said. Dumbledore continued.

"Please listen both of you. Just because I'm asking you, doesn't mean you have to say yes. I'm not your Headmaster anymore; these are just opportunities that happen to be available at the moment." Dumbledore paused momentarily. "Take your time and let me know what you decide. I think you have something else to deal with first before you think about these offers."

And with that Dumbledore ended the meeting, walking godfather and godson to the door, wishing them all the best and inviting them to come back on Saturday to watch Gryffindor practice.

ooOOoo

At the bottom of the revolving staircase, Sirius and Harry stepped off and just looked at each other for a moment; then they both grinned, then laughed out loud.

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Sirius. "Who'd've thought your hero status was this effective? Think of it Harry. Living in Australia with Ginny; her completing her studies, you teaching Defence at the Academy. Can't ask for more than that, eh?"

"I don't know what to say," Harry smiled back at Sirius. "I mean it's wonderful for sure, but - " he paused.

"What?"

"I almost feel a little guilty." Sirius just looked at him askance. "I mean no one else is being offered this sort of opportunity. Why me?"

Sirius just shook his head in disbelief. He'd laugh if he didn't know that Harry genuinely didn't believe he deserved the special credit - and that is what everyone in his life loved about him. "Harry, you do deserve special treatment, trust me on that score; we both do. Don't you think we've paid our dues to society and then some?" Sirius was truly interested to hear what his godson thought.

"I guess. Well, I mean, you definitely Sirius. I don't think the Ministry can ever really repay you back for locking you up in Azkaban like that. But me? I'm just the one that Voldemort chose. That's what made me special. Not me in particular - it was Voldemort choosing me that made it so. It's different," replied Harry trying to explain himself so that he made sense, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"And _that_ is what makes you a hero Harry. The fact that you don't even understand it and don't think you deserve it; that comes across in your character and how you conduct yourself with other people; you're humble, polite, dedicated to the truth. That's what the public loves about you - much to Fudge's complete disdain of course." Sirius laid his hand on Harry's shoulder gently. "C'mon on, reluctant hero, let's go find Ginny and save Ron from Hermione - for a few minutes at least."

ooOOoo

_Two days later… Sunday 18th December…_

It was just as bad as he'd thought it would be.

Harry was sitting opposite Ginny in their little lounge room at The Notch. He'd just told her about New York and he was now waiting for her reaction.

At the moment there was just silence.

For her part, Ginny sat stunned just staring at Harry; completely at a loss, for the moment, at how to respond. So many emotions were warring within her - all of them dominant and demanding an outlet.

She looked him in the eye - dead on - her face set. "How could you Harry?" came her whisper.

Her softly spoken words might as well have been shouts of outrage - they had the same impact on Harry who hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry Ginny."

"That's not good enough. How could you follow that course of action, especially knowing the danger it posed to Tonks?"

"It was her idea," defended Harry.

"And that excuses what you did or what happened? How could you think that was a good plan to follow?"

"Good enough to get us what we wanted," muttered Harry stiffly, feeling resentful.

"Which was _what_ exactly?" Ginny sat with her arms crossed in front of her, not smiling, suddenly feeling numb all over again. She suddenly stood up and walked to the window and looked out. It was snowing again, but the sight of snowflakes drifting against the windowsill didn't cheer her up like it usually did.

"Closure. Revenge." Harry's voice was wooden and stilted. Though it was unlike him, he felt on the verge of tears; he struggled to hold them back. He'd known this was going to be excruciating - but even he'd under-played it in his own mind.

"The only one that has a right to that is me!" cried out Ginny suddenly, turning around suddenly. "What the hell gives you the right to act on my behalf?"

"Apart from the fact that I love you? Nothing. You're right." Harry stood up and moved to stand in front of her by the window, hands shoved in his jean pockets; he would not be a coward, not after everything they'd been through together. "But you haven't been in my shoes, Ginny."

Ginny whipped around with a snap. "Haven't I?" said replied sardonically.

Harry paused, stepping backwards for a bit, unsure of what she meant.

"So, I've never had to worry or fear about your life, or cry because you've almost been killed, oh HOW MANY TIMES since I first met you!" Her voice almost echoed in the little room it was so loud; Ginny stood absolutely still, her arms by her sides, hands clenched into fists with anger.

Then so quietly he almost couldn't hear her. "No, Harry, I wouldn't know what it feels like at all."

Harry looked like he'd just been slapped across the face. Suddenly he felt unbelievably stupid and incredibly selfish. His shoulders slumped. He turned away from Ginny and sat back down in the comfy chair, not noticing as it shifted to fit his shape again. His head fell backwards; he stared up at the ceiling, _completely _at a loss as to how to move forward. Tears escaped from his eyes, tracking silently down his temples. He wiped them away, self conscious and nervous.

Into the silence Ginny moved and spoke. "I just can't believe - " she began…

Into his line of vision moved Ginny. Harry straightened up, adjusted his glasses and waited for her to continue.

Ginny stopped what she was about to say; she rarely saw him cry, and looking at him now, she suddenly realised the depth of his feelings about her situation and her heart went out to him. She should have been more sympathetic. She was _used_ to him being in dangerous, life threatening situations - as he had for all their years at Hogwarts, but he was probably completely unaccustomed to feeling it for her - not really – these past three years were really the exception to the rule for him. She hadn't really looked at it from his perspective before.

Ever so gently, she took his hand, pulled him up and then led him to the other couch where they could sit together. Without a word, she pulled him into her arms and held him, and in another rare moment of vulnerability, Ginny let Harry cry. She held him tight, whispering soothingly, her voice quiet, gentle, understanding, patient…

ooOOoo

It was some time later, nearly dinner time, when an owl flew down the chimney and presented Ginny with an envelope.

**Harry Potter**

"Harry, it's for you," whispered Ginny, passing the envelope to him.

Harry released Ginny and sat up, one hand taking the letter, the other taking his glasses from Ginny's other outstretched hand. He quickly opened the envelope.

**Harry, are you okay? I've just told Hermione and she hit the roof, I'm telling you. And I expected to hear from you before now. Hermione has calmed down, but is now itching to come and see you and Ginny, and Tonks and Remus and…. well, you know what she's like. She's worried about everyone, and how the whole thing has affected each of us. Though personally I think she's just looking forward to yelling a bit more. Let me know when it's safe to come back to The Notch.**

**Ron.**

Harry cracked his first smile for the day and handed the note to Ginny, who, surprisingly, burst out laughing.

"I can't believe you're laughing," Harry responded soberly, shifting on the couch to look at her more clearly.

"Harry Potter, I love you, you silly man. And nothing will ever change that, no matter how silly some of your actions are." Ginny grabbed both of his hands, letting the letter fall silently to the carpet. "I know you only did what you did because you felt you needed to do something. I certainly shouldn't be mad at you for it." As she paused Harry felt renewed respect for Ginny, at her amazing ability to be pragmatic about events in her life and the reasons behind them.

"You have every right to be mad at all of us," replied Harry, "I'm just grateful that 'we're' still okay." He caught her glance and held it. "We are, aren't we?"

Ginny simply responded by sealing his lips with her own. "Let's put Ron out of his misery and invite them both over. We'll use the fireplace, it's quicker."

"Would you like to see Tonks? Shall I call them as well?"

"Let's leave it for another day. I think that meeting should just be between Tonks and myself - though I'm sure Remus and you will want to be there in case we both fall apart." Ginny smiled at Harry, her schoolgirl crush, and sighed, before grabbing a handful of floo powder.


	39. A Christmas Surprise

**Authors Notes:** I cannot believe how sorry I am for the delay in getting this chapter up. Carolyn has had it written and a lot more for ages, but I've had a few glitches in computers and internet. There are 2 more chapters to go (chapters 40 and an epilogue) Chapter 40 should be up in the coming days (give me a week or so, I have a lot on with my mum moving overseas, but once she is gone, it will be up, and then Chapter 41 will be up when it is finished. Please be patient, this story is a labour of love for both of us and we will not abandon it. Carolyn is working very hard in getting the epilogue finished for you. – Thanks for your patience, Rhiain & Carolyn. 

**Chapter 39  
A Christmas Surprise**

ooOOoo

_Christmas Eve…_

"Hey, Potter!" yelled Angelina with a huge grin on her face. "You are obviously very much out of practice Mr ex-Captain!" Angelina snatched the quaffle out of the air and, nearly hitting Harry in the head as she zoomed past, aimed it expertly through the 'goals' that had been created for the 'family match'. "I thought you were supposed to be good enough to play for England!" 

Despite the fact that it was snowing fairly consistently, the extended family were having a great time; the young ones versus the older players. So with Harry, Ginny, Katie, Angelina, the twins and Ron on one side and Bill, Charlie, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Percy and Arthur on the other, it was an amusing game to watch from a spectator's point of view. 

The afternoon had started out with a light lunch/snacks, whilst people were coming home early from the office or just generally helping around The Burrow. 

Arthur had spent the afternoon with the Aussie boys, and Sirius and Remus, magically enlarging the shed so that it would fit a proper stage, mini bar, lighting and seating for everyone when the band played after dinner. Ginny hadn't seen it yet, and the Quidditch match was part of keeping her occupied. 

ooOOoo

After dinner, everyone suitably full of Molly's excellent cooking, it was time for the evenings' entertainment. While people started to clear away the dinner table and move out to the shed, Harry and Ginny were still at the dinner table, her head resting on his shoulder, almost asleep. 

"Hey, sleepyhead, it's time for you to do a little singing now," Harry teased Ginny gently. 

"Oh Harry, I don't feel as if I can even walk again after that meal, let alone open my mouth to sing," murmured Ginny, shifting her chair closer to Harry and snuggling into his shoulder even more. 

"Well my love, your fans await you," he replied half laughing at her. Without another word, he shifted in his seat and swept her up, cradling her securely in his arms as he walked through the kitchen, and outside to the shed. Harry stopped in front of the shed's door and Ginny looked up as Harry came to a standstill, and she slid from his arms and stood beside Harry shivering. 

"Are you ready?" asked Harry, looking amused. 

"For what?" responded Ginny warily. "Where's the band?" She glanced around, realising that they weren't in the back garden. "I thought we were playing in the garden for everyone?" 

Harry didn't reply; instead he opened the door to the shed and waved Ginny inside. Ginny stepped inside and came to a halt, looking around in wonder. It looked just like the pub where the band played, back in Melbourne. George and Fred had magicked a CD player and were playing some background music and Bill was at the bar, playing the role of bartender. It was perfect! 

"What do you think?" queried Harry, delighted by the look of surprise on her face. 

"It's brilliant!" exclaimed Ginny aloud. She saw Emily approaching, who was clapping her hands and smiling broadly. They jumped up and down together doing their 'happy dance' and then just giggled. 

"Well, you look awake now," remarked Harry wryly as he walked past them to the bar to get a shot of Goldie's Liquid Curse from Bill. 

"She looks happy Harry. Thank you," came a voice from behind him. Harry turned to find Arthur looking at him fondly. 

"I think it's the music that does it," Harry replied modestly. 

"C'mon Harry," interrupted Bill from behind the bar. "It's you, more than anything. She wouldn't have made it this far without you," he concluded seriously, "and we'll never be able to repay you for finding her." 

"You already have," said Harry. 

"How's that Harry?" asked Arthur curiously. 

"You've all been my surrogate family since I came home with Ron and the twins in your flying Ford Anglia." Arthur and Bill both looked surprised and touched to hear Harry's compliment. "And though no one can replace my parents," Harry continued, "and discovering Sirius was my Godfather in third year and now Anne as my Godmother – has been just brilliant, and I guess they are about the closest thing to 'official' family that I have. But you also are the closest thing to family that I have - and I can't even begin to put a price on what you have given me over the years." 

"James and Lily would be pleased that you fell into such good company so early on at Hogwarts, Harry," interposed Sirius. 

"Well, that's true!" cried George, approaching and good naturedly slapping Harry on the back. "I mean if it wasn't for us, where would he be now? No map of Hogwarts, he wouldn't have got to Hogsmeade without our help - " 

"And let's not forget - " began Fred. 

" - all the trouble he managed to get himself into, without your help?" mused Hermione joining the conversation. 

Harry just rolled his eyes and punched her gently in the arm. 

Whilst all the bantering was happening up at the bar, the band were preparing to start for the evening. 

"So!" announced Ginny from the stage. "If the group congregated around the bar would settle down just a little bit, we'll get this show on the road." 

With a few taps of his drumsticks, Phil cued in his friends and the first song of the evening began. 

ooOOoo

_An hour later…_

From her vantage point in the corner, Molly could see everyone in the shed. She spied Percy, Penelope and Arthur having, what looked like, an intense discussion, _probably about work or politics_ thought Molly to herself. 

She could see Remus and Tonks sharing a love seat someone had conjured, and was secretly thrilled to see them so happy. They made such a good pair. 

Ron, as usual, was still the biggest surprise of all to Molly. To see her youngest son dancing with his wife on the dance floor was something she had convinced herself she would never see. And here she was experiencing it for the second time the wedding being the first time. 

Her eyes glanced over her other children; the twins, Bill and Charlie, all with their beautiful partners. Molly sighed to herself. She was truly blessed that her children had survived Voldemort; that they survived unscathed was even more of a miracle; that they had, over the years, all found love and happiness with wonderful partners. 

"A knut for your thoughts dear?" murmured Arthur in her ear. He sat down beside Molly and slid an arm around her shoulders, giving her an affectionate squeeze, kissing her temple gently. 

"I was just thinking how truly blessed we've been Arthur. Such wonderful children, wonderful partners, and friends." Molly sighed out loud and snuggled into her husband's embrace. 

"Yes, we certainly are lucky," he replied. "And all of them surprising in so many different ways; their career choices for one thing." 

"And they all survived the war. That in itself was a miracle." 

"Indeed," replied Arthur. "Now come on dear, stop being melancholy and come and have a drink with me." 

ooOOoo

"You know what to do right?" Harry was extremely nervous. 

"Yes sir!" replied Emily, saluting Harry, Army style. "C'mon Harry, you've got to relax, I'm going to kick her off stage any second now." 

Before Harry could reply, Emily had shot away and had approached the stage, surreptitiously nodding to the boys, so that Ginny couldn't see the communication, that it was time. 

As Ginny finished the song, there was applause from the 'audience' and Emily walked up the steps at the side of the stage and had a quiet word to Ginny, who nodded her head and left the stage. 

"Evening everybody. I just thought it was time for Ginny to have a break," explained Emily as she adjusted the height of the microphone a little. It was strange, but she knew she'd never use magic to amplify her voice. It just didn't seem right in this environment. 

Emily turned to whisper something to the band and then came back to facing her 'audience' again, feeling inexplicably nervous. _'Okay, it must be catching'_ she thought to herself. "We're going to perform a brand new song - " 

At this Ginny looked completely surprised, and at the same time, Harry took her hand in his and gently pulled her towards the dance floor. 

" - aaaaaannd," Emily added, smiling as if she had a secret, "Ginny, this song is for you - " there was silence from everyone, " - and it was written by Harry." 

Ginny looked up at Harry, who had ducked his head, a little embarrassed to be the subject of attention. 

"Harry?" Ginny asked, looking mystified. 

"Shhh, just listen and don't ask questions," Harry spoke softly, barely above a whisper in her ear, sending shivers down her spine, and as the music started, he pulled Ginny closer. 

As she watched, and to her immense surprise, Emily sat down at the keyboard and Fred moved into the spotlight and re-positioned the microphone to suit his height. After a moments' pause, he began to sing. _

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing Watch you smile while you are sleeping While you're far away dreaming I could spend my life in this sweet surrender I could stay lost in this moment forever Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure 

_

Don't want to close my eyes I don't want to fall asleep Cause I'd miss you babe And I don't want to miss a thing 'Cause even when I dream of you The sweetest dream will never do I'd still miss you babe And I don't want to miss a thing 

"Harry - " began Ginny, but Harry cut her off. 

"Ginny, I've been wanting to do this for such a long time," explained Harry. 

"What, write a song?" Laughter lit up her eyes, which were sparkling with mischief. 

Harry laughed out loud at that. "No! But I just never had a way to show you how I really felt about you and you seem to do it so effortlessly with music and it just… came to me…" his voice trailed off. 

_

Lying close to you feeling your heart beating And I'm wondering what you're dreaming Wondering if it's me you're seeing Then I kiss your eyes And thank God we're together I just want to stay with you in this moment forever Forever and ever

_

Ginny was speechless, she'd always thought it was obvious how he felt about her - he kept coming to her rescue… what else did that speak of, if not his love for her? But she smiled and closed the gap between them. 

"Ginny, that's not all I've been wanting to do for a long time. There's something else." At this, Harry's throat seemed to dry up and he felt as though his lungs were constricting. 

Ginny waited, honestly bemused by where this was all heading. 

Harry took a deep breath. "I love you, and - " 

"I lo - " Harry placed his finger over her lips to shush her. Her eyes widened in surprise. 

_Don't want to close my eyes I don't want to fall asleep Cause I'd miss you babe And I don't want to miss a thing 'Cause even when I dream of you The sweetest dream will never do I'd still miss you babe And I don't want to miss a thing_

"Ginny, I never want to be without you. I'll go wherever you want to go, with your music, whatever you want to study, I don't care. I just don't ever want to be parted from you again," Harry said fervently. "I…" he paused again, and then before he lost his courage, he said quickly "will you marry me?" 

Ginny was too shocked to reply right away… she watched as Harry took something out of his pocket. Even in the darkness of the shed, with the dim 'pub' lighting, she caught a flicker of what was obviously a ring. 

"Oh Harry," whispered Ginny, her eyes watching as he pulled the ring from his pocket and opening the palm of his hand so she could see it. 

_I don't want to miss one smile I don't want to miss one kiss I just want to be with you Right here with you, just like this I just want to hold you close Feel your heart so close to mine And just stay here in this moment For all the rest of time_

"It was my Mum's, and I want you to have it," said Harry, still holding it in the palm of his hand. "Will you?" 

_

Don't want to close my eyes I don't want to fall asleep 'Cause I'd miss you baby And I don't want to miss a thing 'Cause even when I dream of you The sweetest dream will never do I'd still miss you babe And I don't want to miss a thing

_

Ginny, her eyes welling with tears of happiness, nodded affirmatively. "Oh yes, yes, yes…" Ginny had been rendered speechless and with emotions overwhelming her, Harry slid the ring on her engagement finger and claimed her lips with his own. 

_Don't want to close my eyes I don't want to fall asleep I don't want to miss a thing._

And as the song finished, the two young lovers were still locked in each others' arms when they were startled out of their private world by the cheering and clapping of everyone else in the room. And before they knew it, they were surrounded by all their family and friends. 

It was a while before everyone settled down and Emily got back up on stage to continue with the evenings' entertainment. 

ooOOoo

_Christmas Day morning…_

"Good morning the future Mrs Potter," whispered Harry to Ginny, as they lay in bed. 

They had had an incredible night. What with his proposal to Ginny being a surprise to just about everyone, including Ginny, there had been a lot of celebrating afterwards. 

Molly and Arthur had been, understandably, delighted and emotional about the engagement. All her brothers had grabbed his hand and shook it very hard, but very happily, and of course the girls had gone into fits of excited squeals and chatter. 

Ginny and Harry had come home to The Notch and after casting a charm on their bedroom, the young lovers had fallen into bed and not fallen asleep for many hours. 

"Ginny?" Harry spoke softly into the quietness of the room, as if he didn't want to disturb the morning. 

"Yeah," came an equally as quiet reply from beneath the bedcovers. 

"What do you think of getting married at Godric's Hollow?" 

Ginny wriggled out from under the covers and looked up at Harry, who, by now, was sitting up in bed a little, leaning on his elbow, looking down at Ginny's head poking out from under the covers, looking very cute. "I thin

k the question is, how would _you_ feel about getting married there Harry?" came Ginny's insightful question. Harry shrugged his shoulders a little, unsure how to answer. "Have you been back since Hagrid came to get you the night your parents died?" 

"No, and I have no idea what state it's in, or if it's even still mine," came Harry's sombre reply. 

"So why don't we go and have a look?" suggested Ginny, kneeling up in bed and leaning against Harry. "You know, I bet Sirius and Remus haven't been back there either." Having confronted a lot of her past in the last six months, Ginny couldn't help wonder if this mightn't be good for all of them - to go back to the past - to where it all began - and lay those ghosts to rest. 

"Yeah, I guess. I hadn't really thought about it much over the years. I've always been at Privet Drive or here when I wasn't at Hogwarts," mused Harry. 

"Well I think it's a lovely idea to get married there, Harry," said Ginny. 

"Well, the only other place I'd want to get married would be Hogwarts, like Ron and Hermione but I don't want to feel like we've copied them. And Godric's Hollow would be unique to only us… forever." 

Silence fell over Harry and Ginny as they thought about Harry's childhood home, and it was a while before they ventured out of bed to get ready to return to The Burrow for Christmas Day lunch. 

ooOOoo

_Christmas lunchtime at The Burrow…_

"You know something I've been wondering?" asked Hermione to Anne, as everyone sat around the Christmas tree in The Burrow's extended lounge room. 

"What's that?" responded Anne. 

"Adam," she stated simply. "I never understood his motives in the scheme of things." 

"How do you mean?" 

"Well, I understood Malfoy's motives; he hated Harry, wanted to hurt him. But Adam… we'd never even heard of him. I mean he wasn't even on _your_ radar," concluded Hermione. Then she looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry Anne, I didn't mean it to sound like the MLES were uninformed or anything - but he wasn't someone we knew anything about, and I guess I'd just like to know why he did it. Why did he want to harm Ginny? Why did he kill Malfoy if they were allies?" 

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I know you've never told us what happened when you interrogated Adam, and I respected your reasons at the time, but…" Hermione's voice fell quiet. 

"But now that some time has passed, you'd like to know?" prompted Anne. 

Hermione simply nodded. 

At that point, Ron leaned in between them both from above the couch they were sitting on and interrupted. "Anne, of course, you can just go and tell 'Mione to mind her own business… it's not relevant in the scheme of things in my opinion." And Ron just left it at that, kissing his wife on the cheek. 

Hermione smiled as he wandered off again. "It's just like Ron to over-simplify an issue, don't you think?" 

Anne smiled at this. Ron did like to simplify things, and in his job he had to be able to do that very effectively as a Strategist for the Auror Division. She laughed and watched as Ron sauntered off, grinning; she then turned back to Hermione. 

"Firstly, Hermione, you must remember how incredibly stressed you all were at the time, and Sirius's and my decision not to disclose what happened in Adam's interrogations was purely to protect you from having to deal with the nastiness of who and what he really was." 

Hermione watched Anne carefully, listening seriously to the woman she'd come to respect immensely since they'd met, only earlier that year. "I know most people believed that Voldemort was not only a dangerous wizard but an exceptionally inhumane and evil one also." 

Anne paused for a moment, considering her words carefully, her glance resting on Harry across the room, who was smiling and talking animatedly with Charlie and Bill about the Quidditch World Cup that was coming up in the next summer holidays. 

"Adam was worse, and in fact was even more inhumane than Voldemort, if you can even imagine someone like that. I would look into his eyes during the interrogations and whilst most wizard criminals tend to be arrogant and incredibly self confident; but with Adam… there was just nothing there. His eyes were dead and lifeless. He had no humanity in him at all. I shudder to think what his childhood must have been like to have shaped that sort of human being." 

"Did you ever get a reason or motive for him doing what he did?" Hermione shuddered to think of what might have happened if so many people hadn't been desperate to get Ginny back alive. 

"No, and in the end it didn't matter. He's never leaving Azkaban. If he even puts one toe out of line, I've got his summoning spell for his Dementor in a Prophecy at the Department of Mysteries in Melbourne, and he'll be Kissed," finished Anne, feeling a little flat. 

"But I thought the Dementor only responded to Adam himself?" asked Hermione. 

"No, that's not true. It will respond to whomever casts the spell to summon it. And with the help of Veritaserum, we got what we needed to control it ourselves." 

"So why didn't Veritaserum get you all the answers about why he did what he did?" Hermione was sounding insistent now. 

"I don't know Hermione. I can't explain it, and I suspect that we may never know." She took in Hermione's slightly agitated state and decided to tread carefully. "Hermione, why do _you_ want to know so badly?" asked Anne gently. "It seems to have really bothered you all this time. Why?" 

Hermione sat quietly for a moment considering the question, searching herself for an answer. After at least a minute of considering her fingernails, Hermione raised her head to look at Anne. 

"Because I couldn't bear it if anything were to happen to Harry or Ron after everything we've been through. I mean, is Adam now another mortal enemy of Harry's? Is he someone we have to worry about in the future?" Hermione's voice dropped to a whisper. "I guess I still fear that somehow he'll break out of prison, like the Death Eaters did here in England, and cause untold damage; except that in Adam's case he seems powerful enough to cause another war, to replace Voldemort, and I just don't think I could handle all of that again." 

Anne rested her hand over Hermione's comfortingly, sympathy for the young woman evident in her expression. "Hermione, have you thought of how Ginny feels not knowing what it was that drove her rapist to attack her to begin with? Why her chose her and not someone else? It's the same thing. The not knowing… and sometimes I think you're better off that way. Sometimes there's no point trying to make sense out of it. In my experience sometimes the truth is far more horrific to deal with than simply not knowing." Anne paused again. "Hermione, I hope you know that if I had any information that was even remotely relevant to you that I wouldn't keep it to myself. I would never withhold information that could potentially affect Harry's life, or yours, in any way." 

Hermione searched Anne's eyes and found only sincerity and kindness. "So, basically, you're telling me I should put it out of my mind and let it go?" surmised Hermione, a small smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. 

Anne smiled at Hermione, not surprised at the insight from one so young. "In a word? Yes. Now, you must tell me about your plans for your honeymoon this summer. Where are you going?" 

ooOOoo

"I saw Hermione giving you the third degree earlier," asked Sirius cornering Anne in The Burrow's kitchen where she was tidying up for Molly. 

"Yeah, I thought you might have noticed," replied Anne sagely. "Hermione is a wonderfully insightful, clever witch for her age, but I think we've just discovered how this whole journey with Harry has affected her specifically. I don't think she's ever going to trust that he'll be safe from harm. I'm not sure she believed what I said." Sirius looked a little put out at this. "Oh I'm sure she trusts me honey, but this isn't about that. It's about Harry and Ron and looking back and realising how many times she might have lost them, and though she'll never be as lovingly over-bearing as Molly can be, I don't think she'll ever rest easy until Adam is dead, quite frankly." 

"Well, they say time heals all wounds, and I think given time, they'll all settle down and let go of the past," Sirius stated simply. 

"I'm sure you're right, you old Marauder you," said Anne, reaching up on her tiptoes and kissing Sirius soundly on the lips. 

ooOOoo

Molly and Arthur stood at their front door, rugged up extra warmly, watching as their children, in groups and couples, Disapparated back to their homes. They waved at each group in turn, firstly saying goodbye to baby Leo as Percy and Penny left via the fireplace; then Ron and Hermione went back to Hogwarts via Hogsmeade; Harry and Ginny to The Notch; Sirius, Anne, Remus and Tonks to Lupin Lodge; Emily, Fred, Shane, Phil, the twins and Katie and Angelina all took a portkey to Diagon Alley; Emily and the boys went to the Leaky Cauldron where they had rooms booked compliments of Harry. 

Molly sighed contentedly beside Arthur. "C'mon Molly, let's return The Burrow to its normal size before we call it a night," commented Arthur. 

"You know Arthur, Sometimes I think we need a bigger home," mused Molly. 


	40. The Past & The Future

**Authors Notes: **This is the second last chapter of our epic story, we want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this story. Please continue to review it, we do read every one and appreciate them more than you can imagine. Keep an eye out for the Epilogue coming soon! – Rhiain & Carolyn

**Chapter 40**

**The Past & The Future**

ooOOoo

_30th December..._

"I wonder where everyone is?" asked Ginny, sounding a bit worried.

"They'll be here. We had to walk a little way to get to the right place, remember?" explained Harry patiently. He was touched that Ginny seemed more concerned about this little venture then he was.

They were standing in the shade of a small oak forest which bordered Godric's Hollow. From their viewpoint the white, frosted landscape was almost picture perfect. Almost.

Godric's Hollow was a village and a very little one at that. It was deep in the English countryside, which made sense given that Harry's parents had been in hiding from Voldemort. It was also a very beautiful part of the country. Harry had brought his broom and since they had arrived a little early, he and Ginny had gone for a ride to see what was nearby.

Apart from other wizards' houses that were scattered over the area, which afforded plenty of privacy for each residence, there were several little rivers, or estuaries that ran through the county, lots of forest areas, ponds and in the centre it looked like there was a wide open field - the perfect size for playing Quidditch! Someone had erected Quidditch hoops which were looking a little worse for wear, as if no one had played there in a long time.

A few 'pops' alerted Ginny and Harry to the new arrivals - Sirius, Anne, Remus and Tonks.

"Morning," called out Harry, crunching through the snow to meet them.

Sirius and Remus were looking around silently. Harry walked up to them and shook their hands.

"I know this probably will be a bit weird for you," began Harry.

They were both silent a moment before Remus spoke for both of them. "It's not that, it's just… it's been a very, very long time," he finished simply. "I wasn't here the night James and Lily were killed, so though I eventually found out what happened, I haven't seen the house…" he paused momentarily before continuing. "Harry, did Sirius - "

"Yes, he did," Harry knew what Remus had been going to say. "I knew what to expect before we arrived. Actually the house is in pretty good condition, considering the damage Voldemort did to it. It's really just the inside that needs a lot of work. C'mon," Harry said, "come and have a look."

"It really doesn't look as bad as you're probably imagining Sirius," prompted Ginny gently, leading the way.

The six of them walked along a path Harry had found at the edge of the forest that wound its way from the clearing to the back of the house where Harry had been born.

As they wandered through the forest, Remus and Sirius were quiet and contemplative until Sirius piped up.

"Where are Ron and Hermione?" he asked.

"They're spending some time at her place. They're trying to decide whether to move back into her parents home or not," explained Ginny. "She's had someone taking care of the garden and property generally over the years, which is how Ron, incidentally, managed to fix it up without arousing any suspicion."

"And they're really going to move there?" asked Tonks curiously.

"Well, I think they'd like to spend some time there to see how Hermione feels about it," said Harry. "As much as she loves her home, she's not sure how she'll feel living there all the time, you know with the memories of her mum and dad."

As Harry finished speaking they walked out of the forest and Sirius and Remus gazed upon their best friends' home for the first time in about 20 years.

As Sirius looked around, his expression showed confusion.

"What is it?" asked Anne.

"Well, I just don't remember all of this," Sirius gestured at the neatness of the garden. "Has someone been taking care of it Harry?"

Harry shrugged, non-committally. "Did you know any of their neighbours?"

"We knew who they were, but James and Lily kept to themselves, for everyone's safety more so than theirs. Though, James did often go and play Quidditch in the centre of the hollow. Have you seen it Harry?" asked Remus looking much brighter.

"Yeah, I did. It's almost a full sized pitch."

"Well, we would often go there to blow off steam, and we wouldn't be the only ones. That was where we'd meet their neighbours and create teams and just have fun," explained Sirius, a smile playing on his lips, "before going back home to face the real world again."

"What made you want to come here after all this time Harry?" asked Anne.

"Actually, I've always want to come here, but I've honestly never had the opportunity; what with school, the Dursley's, fighting Voldemort after we graduated and then tripping around the world looking for missy here," he gazed fondly at his fiancée," and… well, it's just been something I've always wanted to do."

Ginny continued. "Also, Harry was thinking that we might get married here," she announced to everyone.

Everyone looked delighted by this news.

"What a great idea Harry!" exclaimed Sirius looking happy for the first time since he'd arrived.

"Well, I had no idea what to expect, which is why I did my homework before coming out here," he said.

"Homework?" asked Remus, surprised.

"Well, I knew a little about what happened that night, from Hagrid, Sirius and Dumbledore, so I thought I'd hunt through the archives to see if there were any reports by the MLES."

"There were rumours that the house had been destroyed," said Remus, "though I never could understand how that had happened, given Voldemort's demise that night – he simply wouldn't have been corporeal enough to do any more damage than he'd already done."

"It was a bit," Harry affirmed, "but it seems that Mum and Dad's neighbours were really good people." Harry then went on to explain how, after seeing what had happened to their house, James and Lily's neighbours, over time, restored the house magically, bit by bit. They had always assumed that someone would return with Harry. "Of course, they did eventually realise that I wouldn't be coming back straight away, and have mostly been taking care of the garden."

"But Harry, this was a muggle house originally," queried Sirius who was still looking sombre.

"Yeah, I know. I actually found the deeds and a bunch of paperwork in the vault at Gringotts," explained Harry. "Apparently there was a mixture of wizarding and muggle families in this area, though it was only a small village. But obviously the events of that night frightened some of the local muggles and they moved away eventually."

As they were standing there, they saw a man approach them from the front of the house.

"Morning!" he called out cheerily.

"Who's that?" Sirius was instantly on guard, until Anne tugged at his sleeve and whispered in his ear to 'take it easy'.

Mr Wilmore looked to be about McGonagall's age, guessed Harry. He was dressed quite smartly, tall, lean but with a very country look to him, including the floppy, tartan cap that he wore cocked upon a head of curly, grey hair.

"Mr Wilmore," answered Harry Sirius's question. "He was one of the wizards that helped rebuild the house. Morning Mr Wilmore!"

"Well, you must be Harry Potter, of course," Mr Wilmore spoke quickly, smiling all the time, shaking Harry's outstretched hand.

"Yes, sir, I am. May I introduce you to Ginny Weasley, Sirius Black, Anne Fletcher, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks," Harry indicated to each one in turn, as they all shook hands, explaining, "Mr Wilmore left details with Gringott's Bank of what he and the other neighbours had done, so that I would know whenever I went to the vault to look further."

"Well, we did gather that you had a bit to contend with over the years Harry," mused Mr Wilmore. "I certainly didn't expect you to come back any time soon. I mean, the first time we heard anything about you was your first year at Hogwarts. I don't think anyone really knew what had happened to you after Hagrid came to get you."

"You know about that?" asked Sirius incredulously.

"Yes, Mr Black. And please forgive me for being a nosy neighbour, but my wife and I heard an explosion that night, and I came running out to investigate. I came up the road, saw what had happened and found Hagrid there. I didn't approach, but I did see you arrive Mr Black and I saw Hagrid take off with Harry on your bike.

There was silence as Mr Wilmore detailed the events of that night from his perspective.

"I know it must seem cowardly, but… though I didn't know that it was Voldemort who had attacked the Potters, I didn't approach because I was scared to be quite frank; there'd been so many attacks by Death Eaters and I knew that the Potters were in hiding," explained Mr Wilmore further.

"How did you know that?" asked Remus curious. "I didn't think many people knew that."

"And you're right, they didn't, Mr Lupin," replied Mr Wilmore hesitantly, "it was just that they seemed… apprehensive all the time. I don't know that I'd call them scared, but, well as you would both remember," nodding to both Remus and Sirius, "everyone was afraid back then. It was simply an awful time for the wizarding world.

"It was only as the weeks went by that the we heard what had happened, and my neighbours and I got together and decided that, at the appropriate time, we would start rebuilding the house for you. We figured you were safe somewhere and that some day, you'd return."

Everyone listened in astonishment.

"I'll never be able to thank you enough," said Harry seriously.

"My pleasure Harry. It's really just the structure that you see, the second floor is also there too, but we figured that you'd want to decide how to break the space up yourself, one day," replied Mr Wilmore happily. "Here, let me take you inside."

There was a long pause and then Ginny spoke. "Thanks Mr Wilmore," answered Ginny, answering for everyone, "we'd love to see what you've done."

With Mr Wilmore leading the way, the small group approached the house.

ooOOoo

_A few hours later, back at Lupin Lodge…_

It was a very quiet group that sat in the front sitting room of Lupin Lodge that afternoon.

"Well, I'll have to add that to the list of what would have to qualify as an 'overwhelming experience'," remarked Ginny candidly into the quiet of the room. She looked at everyone; they were still digesting the events of that morning and the history of events that had taken place.

About a year after the attack on the Potters' home, their neighbours started rebuilding the house. Because it had been a muggle built house, they had tracked plans down through the local Muggle council and it had all come about from that point on.

Once the structure of the house was in place, they all helped re-plant the driveway and surrounding garden areas.

Harry had spoken to Mr Wilmore privately, insisting on paying them for all that they had done, but Mr Wilmore wouldn't hear of it.

"_Harry, there is no need to pay us. Think of it as payment to you for having saved our world - twice!" stated Mr Wilmore emphatically._

"I know you're feeling weird about it Harry, but don't think about it too much," said Anne quietly. She could see that Harry was thinking very deeply about what had been done in honour of his parents, on his behalf, since Voldemort's demise. "Who knows what will happen in the future? You may very well be given the opportunity to help them all in return, in some way. You know the saying - what goes around, comes around - they will have received kindness back tenfold from other places in the meantime Harry."

Harry nodded.

"So, now that you've seen it, what do you think Harry?" asked Tonks inquisitively.

"Well, I think it would be great to get married there. Gin?"

"I agree. Imagine what the garden will look like in Spring?"

"Spring?" Harry looked perplexed. "Have you already set a date without telling me?"

No, silly!" cried out Ginny, laughing. "I was just thinking that the garden will look beautiful in Springtime, or even Summer," she concluded jabbing him in the ribs gently to show she was teasing him.

Sirius and Remus were still silent, both of them in their own heads; Sirius replaying that night over and over again; Remus trying not to feel guilty for leaving like he did.

Shortly both Tonks and Anne took their respective partners home, hoping to shake their moods.

ooOOoo

And so, it was throughout January that Harry, Ginny and their friends helped bring James, Lily and Harry's home back to life.

With permission from their neighbours the Weasley boys, except Percy naturally, got new Quidditch hoops installed at the 'Godric's Hollow' pitch, as well as organising Godric Hollow's first 'friendly' neighbourhood match.

Percy checked on the legal side of things for Harry and discovered the deeds to the land and just exactly how much land Harry owned; a modest amount several acres which included the forest behind his home - down to a beautiful, sheltered cove which housed a very large, deep, dipping pool like an Olympic sized swimming pool. And the 'quidditch pitch' seemed to be common land, used by all local families.

All in all, Ginny and Harry had a wonderful time - spent enjoying the company of their friends, Quidditch games, trips into Muggle London. Harry even Apparated, with Ginny, to Privet Drive to say one, final goodbye to his Aunt and Uncle.

It wasn't something they deserved, but for reasons he couldn't quite explain, Harry felt he had to touch base with them one more time, for his Mum. With a final goodbye to the Dursley's, Harry returned home to Godric's Hollow and felt that that chapter of his life was finally closed forever.

Something else that had been wonderful to watch, was the look on Sirius and Remus's faces as they described to Harry how the house had been set out. The three of them had sat down and drawn up a plan of the design when Harry's parents had bought it; and Harry wanted to replicate it exactly. It didn't feel odd or weird. Instead they each felt a sense of homecoming as they magically created walls to form rooms.

"Well, it's looking good darling," commented Ginny to Harry, as he finished setting up the fireplace in the study, "now we just need to get it put on the Floo Network and we can chat to everyone instead of Apparating everywhere." She smiled at him beguilingly.

"Well, it's a start anyway," commented Harry sagely. "We're hardly going to be here for the next couple of years, but I just want to get it to the point where it will be ready to host our wedding. And we can still do bits and pieces each time we come home in the holidays, don't you think?"

"Absolutely," agreed Ginny. She noted the look on Harry's face and his glance touched on the rest of the study; it looked wistful, as if he was trying to place his parents in the room. "They'd be so proud of you Harry," she paused briefly to move closer to him and clasp his hand in her own. "They'll be tickled pink that you're here and renovating their home."

"Do you think it's what they would have wanted?" asked Harry quietly, trying to stop the tears welling up in his eyes.

Ginny nodded firmly. "Yes, I do. They bought this place Harry. They weren't renting it. I think if they'd survived, they'd still be here - with you, more siblings, everything." She kissed him gently on the lips before wrapping her arms around him tightly. "And I am also positive that they'd want you to make decisions that you felt comfortable with."

"What do you mean?" murmured Harry before pulling away to look at her soft features.

"Don't spend all your time wondering if this is what you parents would have wanted. If you want to change things inside or use the rooms differently, add more rooms at a later stage, then do it… that's life Harry. It goes on…" she looked at him, love and sincerity in her expression, "it goes on whether we want it to or not. Your parents would have wanted you to keep this place, of that I've no doubt, but what you do with it now is up to you. If you're happy, then wherever they are, they'll be happy too. I just know it."

With that, the young couple kissed tenderly for several minutes and then, after a little tidying up, left Harry's childhood home and went back to The Notch.

ooOOoo

_Night before Harry and Ginny return to Australia…_

"Have you thought of what to call the house Harry?" asked Katie inquisitively.

It was Harry and Ginny's last night before returning to Melbourne. Early February would see Harry taking up a teaching post at the Melbourne Academy of Magic. At the same time Sirius would be joining the Auror Division of the Ministry of Magic in Melbourne, and simply because of the way his mind worked, he would also work in conjunction with the Department of Mysteries and Anne.

Ginny wouldn't be returning to school until March to begin her second year. She was going to spend February checking out where she and Harry would live, as well as enquiring about getting her part time job back; she know she wouldn't need the money, living with Harry, but she wanted to contribute as much as she could in the meantime.

"I have been thinking about it actually, Katie," smiled Harry, relaxing in the booth at the Snout's Fair. The pub was full tonight – between the regular patrons and everyone here to say goodbye to Harry and Ginny, it was a very busy night for Goldie. "But somehow I can't find anything unique enough, or good enough. Anything I do think of sounds really corny or bland."

Everyone laughed.

"You're starting to become a perfectionist like me Harry," mused Hermione, eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing," replied Harry, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, it is!" protested Ron. "It's bad enough having to contend with Hermione, but if I have to put up with two of you – " Hermione cut him off with a smacking kiss.

"Well, one name that I keep going back to is _Potter Grove_,"remarked Harry tentatively.

"And I like it as well," chimed in Ginny.

"_Potter_ _Grove_," mused Remus, "sounds eminently suitable I think."

"Well, we haven't really decided yet, and until I'm ready to make a sign for the house, I guess I don't have to worry about it," said Harry looking self conscious about it. "Did my parents ever have a name for it? I can't believe I haven't asked this question before."

"No, they hadn't," said Sirius, "mainly because there was so much going on, they never had time to really think about those sorts of things." Harry nodded his head, understanding. There was so much behind the references of the past – he wondered if they'd ever lose their grip on his mind or his parents' friends.

"Haaaaarrrry," whispered Ginny musically in his ear, re-shifting his focus.

"Uhuh," replied Harry non-committally. Her lips were against his earlobe, tickling it ever so gently – it was driving him quietly insane… he loved it when she did that. She always knew just how to distract his sombre thinking.

"Are you going to tell everyone the good news?" she whispered suggestively, her lips still touching him seductively.

In a move as quick as lightening, Harry suddenly shifted, grabbed Ginny and placed her unceremoniously on his lap and silenced her with a kiss. Everyone applauded the young couple.

When everyone had quieted down, Ginny spoke. "We just wanted to let you all know that we've settled on a date for the wedding, and it's going to be the 30th June." There was silence, then, "this year."

There was a sudden whoop from the twins, all the Gryffindors present went a little mad, and Sirius and Remus looked on, eyes damp, excited for their best friends' son and future wife.

Whilst the young ones started planning and discussing the big day, Arthur and Molly looking on and smiling, the remaining Marauders watched on quietly.

"That will be one hell of a day Padfoot," mused Remus smiling.

"Yeah. We're going to have to get Harry drunk at least once before then. James would never forgive us if we didn't at least try."

"Padfoot! Imagine what Lily would think?"

"James would just shut her up with a kiss and then drag Harry down the pub," shot back Sirius, grinning. "C'mon, just one bottle of Liquid Curse to commemorate this momentous occasion. You know James would want us to, Moony."

Moony nodded, knowing he wouldn't win this particular argument; he just hoped Lily and James approved. He smiled and knew, deep down, that they would approve.

It was a long time before the group disbanded and went home, excited, full of hope and plans for the future.


	41. Epilogue

**Authors Note: **Well here it is, the final installment of A Lost Love. We certainly hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as we've enjoyed writing it. I must preface this chapter by saying that it may not be what you wanted, but it was what flowed from my fingertips as I started typing. Would love to hear your thoughts and final reviews after you've read it. Take care, happy reading and writing. Chill68.

**Epilogue**

**ooOOoo**

_Sunday 2nd November 2014, around dinner time…_

Dear Harry,

I'm sorry we won't be able to make it, but Olympe and I are in charge of the Orphan Dragon Charity Day that Beauxbaton's is having on Saturday. It's a damn shame, because I would have loved to have seeing Samantha playing for Gryffindor, and as seeker no less! Give Sammy our love and we'll write to her as well. Take care.

Your friend,

Hagrid.

Harry read the short letter again. He hadn't seen Hagrid for such a long time, especially now he was living with Olympe in France at the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. And he missed seeing him all the time, like when he'd been at Hogwarts.

He sat in the study, composing a letter in reply, when he noticed the door slowly opening. He didn't look up or react. This had become a little game between his youngest son, Daniel, and himself. He kept writing.

Daniel crept into the room on all fours. He was positive that his Dad hadn't seen him yet, though he knew Dad was tricky like that. He crept along the floor, inching his way toward the desk. He hadn't managed to sneak up on him yet, but one day he was going to surprise him, it was just a matter of time.

The next thing Harry heard were footsteps approaching the study. He knew precisely where Daniel was and wondered what his precocious son would do next. As he contemplated this, the door flung open to reveal Cassandra and James, his even more precocious 8 year old twins standing in the doorway, looking extremely mischievous.

"Dad, have you seen Daniel anywhere?" asked Cassandra, giving him a cheeky wink.

"No Cassie, I haven't. Why? Has he run off again?"

"Well, you know how he loves to play hide and seek," remarked James, pushing his glasses higher up on his nose, looking remarkably like his father in that moment.

"Yes, though he's definitely getting better at it as he gets older," replied Harry wryly. "So where do you suggest we look this time?"

"Well, I've already searched the woods and he's not at the Quidditch pitch either," complained Cassandra, who was obviously trying not to laugh, but instead was trying to sound like she was tired of her little brother's antics. "Honestly Dad, can't you put a leash on him or something. Or how about one of those GPS trackers that the Muggles use to keep track of their cars?"

Harry smothered a laugh and faked a cough instead. This conversation would be infuriating Daniel to no end. Any second now…

"A leash!" came an indignant voice from underneath the chair on the other side of the desk. "What am I? A dog?" The indignation in Daniel's voice was clear and, thought Harry to himself, very funny. A dark haired boy, with typically unruly hair, poked his head out of hiding.

"Daniel, aren't you a little old for hide 'n' seek?" asked James, his arms crossed over his chest, with a belligerent stance.

"He's only four James," reminded Harry gently.

"Well, _you_ didn't find me, did you?" snapped Daniel angrily, standing up and tossing his head to shake the fringe out of his eyes.

Harry watched, amused. Daniel certainly had all the defiance of the youngest child in a family – much like Ginny… who had just appeared in the doorway.

Harry caught his breath. Even after all these years, she still took his breath away and made him wonder why she loved him at all.

"Alright you two," stated Ginny sternly, "stop teasing Daniel and go do your chores or no dinner tonight." She leant against the doorframe, smiling serenely.

"Mum, that's not fair," began Cassandra, "Uncle George said just last weekend that it was our right as twins to tease the youngest in the family."

"Yeah Mum, I mean who else is going to do it?" added James. "It's either tease Daniel or we're completely bored and then we just cause trouble around the house… which would _you_ prefer?"

"Well you only cause trouble until your father or I find out about it and then we just bind you until the next morning. That usually works for me," replied Ginny grinning down at her son. "Besides, I knew you would both be troublemakers given the easy birth I had with the two of you."

"Easy?" stated James, clearly nonplussed. "Mum, you were in labour for 48 hours and Dad was a _wreck_ according to Uncle Ron and Aunty Hermione. And _you_ said it was an omen that we'd be like Uncle Fred and Uncle George." James looked quite proud of that fact.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "My brothers are in so much trouble," she muttered under her breath, shooing the twins out of the study.

Harry just chuckled at the look on his wife's face. "Hey, I got a letter from Hagrid. He can't make it on Saturday, but said he'll write to Samantha as well."

"That's great," enthused Ginny wiping her hands on her apron, "how are they?"

"Good, I guess. He didn't say much in the letter." Harry held it up to show her the very short, handwritten note from Hagrid.

She smiled knowingly. "He never was much of a writer. I like it when Olympe writes instead… always more informative."

Daniel, during this exchange, had crept around the side of the desk and was edging towards his father. Harry instinctively pushed his chair back so that Daniel could crawl up onto his lap. Daniel did so and curled up, his little arms wrapped around as much of his Daddy as he could, quiet as a mouse.

Ginny whispered, "I'm just going to check on the twins and start dinner." She tilted her head to one side and left Harry and Daniel to themselves.

Harry nodded, cradling his son close. It still amazed him that he now had children of his own, and in each of them he could see Ginny and himself. Not just in looks, but in mannerisms, temperaments, likes and dislikes. It still amazed him. And he loved it. The girls were just like their mother, and Daniel and James were miniature versions of himself.

"Dad," came a tiny voice gently rumbling against his chest.

"Yes Daniel," came his father's patient reply.

"Why do they do that?" he whispered to his father. "It's mean and – "

"No Daniel, they're not being mean, they're just teasing you - trying to make you laugh, _trying_ to make you come out of hiding," explained Harry gently, pushing Daniel's hair out of his eyes. "It's their way of playing with you. It's just that they forget that you're only 4 years old and they also forget that they used to do the same thing only a few years ago."

"Really, did they?" Daniel's head popped up to look at his father. Green eyes met green eyes.

"Yeah, of course they did."

"Did Samantha tease them like they tease me?"

Harry paused for a moment. It often astounded him how astute Daniel was for a 4 year old. "Actually, she didn't, but then Samantha always was a bit more sensitive towards other people in that way, like Mummy."

"Why?" asked Daniel inquisitively.

"Well," here Harry paused, "you know how everyone's different? They look different, sound different, act different?" Daniel nodded affirmatively. "Well Samantha is different to me and Mummy, and Cassandra is different to James, like I'm different to Grandpa Sirius and Grandma Anne. Do you see what I mean?" Daniel shook his head, not quite following. "Okay, you know how Grandpa Sirius loses his temper occasionally?"

Again, Daniel nodded his head, smiling. "Yeah, he's funny when he's mad."

Harry smiled at him. "Well, is Grandma Anne like that?"

"No, she never gets mad like Grandpa," stated Daniel matter-of-factly.

"Well, apply that to Samantha and the twins. Everyone has a different personality. That's what makes each of us special," finished Harry simply. "Follow?"

"Yeah. Thanks Daddy," said Daniel looking up into his Daddy's eyes adoringly then, changing tack suddenly. "Am I allowed to come on Saturday?"

"Absolutely. You don't want to miss Samantha's first game, do you?"

"Nope," came the simple reply.

"Good. Now why don't you go and help Mummy in the kitchen."

"Okay. Thanks Daddy," said Daniel, sliding off Harry's lap and trotting to the door. "Daddy?" Daniel turned back to look at his Daddy.

"Yep."

"I love you."

Harry watched as Daniel scampered off down the hallway and disappeared down the stairs to the kitchen, his heart swelling with love for Daniel, and all his children. He rummaged around the desk to have a look at the letter that he'd received from his eldest daughter earlier that day.

_Saturday 1st November 2014_

_Dear Mum & Dad,_

_Re: You've gotta help me!_

_I don't think I'm ready. I'm too young! What was I thinking saying "Yes" to Professor McGonagall? I must've been hallucinating or something. I'm not ready, seriously. I can't breathe… I'm too nervous. What if I make a total fool of myself?_

_And yes, I have spoken to Professor Weasley about this, as the new Head of Gryffindor House. Aunty Hermione was great, but it's just not the same as getting _your_ opinion on things._

_Can you please, please, pretty please come and visit before Saturday – to talk some sense into me, get me chucked off the team – or, as is probably more your style - inspire some belief in myself before my first big game? I don't want to let you down Dad. I don't want to be bad in front of the whole school. I want you to be proud of me._

_I love you both so much, and am missing Cassie, James and Daniel like crazy._

_Love_

_Samantha Potter_

_xoxoxo_

Harry paused for a moment before putting quill and ink to parchment, in reply.

_Sunday 2nd November 2014_

_Dear Samantha,_

_You are going to be just fine! Professor McGonagall wouldn't have asked you to try out for the team if she didn't think you were capable. And remember, you earned your place on the team – which is a little different from what happened to me, as you know._

_Sweetheart, I know the challenges you face being the first Potter child to attend Hogwarts, but it's really important that you carve out a place of your own there. And you will. I've seen you fly and though you and I have different styles and different strengths – I know you'll do great on Saturday. And not just because you're my daughter and are naturally gifted at flying, but because you are your own person. You always have been._

_Now, go show them how good you really are! I know you'll be great. Remember that the divisions between the Houses aren't what they used to be. And even if you lose, be a good sport about it – shake the other teams' hands, work harder for the next game and then knock 'em flat! _

_Mum sends her love by the way. She's itching to come up and visit before the game, but you know the rules Samantha, and it wouldn't be fair to have them broken just because of who you are. We'll be in the stands with the family. Hagrid isn't able to make it, but you should have a letter from him very shortly._

_Just a few things:_

_Get a good nights' sleep Friday night._

_No night-time wanderings before then._

_Eat a decent breakfast on Saturday morning._

_And knock 'em dead kiddo!_

_Love_

_Dad_

_PS: 1, 2 and 3 were all the things that I often didn't do before games, but then again, I'm not necessarily the best role model for Hogwarts' behaviour – just ask Professor Dumbledore!_

"Did you give her any good advice Harry, or are you leading our eldest astray?" asked Ginny sagely, proving that she knew her husband extremely well. She'd come to fetch him for dinner, and as usual had found him in the study - his own, private space.

"What, me? I never!" exclaimed Harry, knowing he wasn't going to fool Ginny one little bit. "Read what I've just written to her, I think you'll approve," he noted a little smugly, pushing back his chair from the desk.

Ginny took letter and as she was reading it by the doorway, Harry wrapped his arms around her from behind, pressing his face into the curve of her neck and inhaling the scent that was unique to Ginny - a flowery, fresh scent that was always enticing, even if she didn't know it.

Ginny scanned the letter and the turned in Harry's arms. "Just as well there was a PS at the end of it!" she murmured quietly, grinning. "And just as well that Samantha is quite level headed - though I'm not sure where she gets that from. Certainly not you or me."

"I know, she's more like Percy in that way, isn't she?" remarked Harry, kissing Ginny before she could utter another word. For a few minutes they were both lost in each other… until Harry remembered something, and pulled away.

"Hey, have you given any more thought about teaching again next year?"

"Yes, I have, and I still think that Daniel's a little young - "

Harry interrupted her, sitting on the edge of his desk and pulling her closer, arms wrapped steadily around her waist. "Okay, I thought we talked about this, and Molly was more than happy to babysit whilst you were at school," Harry began patiently.

Ginny looked at husband fondly. "Harry, I just…" she paused momentarily, thinking. "I would love to teach at Hogwarts next year - I mean I'm thrilled at the opportunity. I guess I just have reservations about how it will fit into everything else at Hogwarts - curriculum-wise. I mean I can't stay there during term time, so there's travelling time every day to consider. And it's not just Daniel. The twins don't go to Hogwarts for another three years. Mum's already taken care of my brothers. You don't really want to saddle her with another set do you?"

Harry sighed heavily. "I just feel bad that your career is still on hold and yet I keep doing what I want." He ducked his head and scuffed the carpet with his right foot.

Ginny smiled at him. He was being deliberately cute. After all these years it was a game they still loved to play. "I know you do, but I've told you _many_ times that my career is you and the kids." He raised his head, his gaze perusing every inch of her face.

"I know, and I love that, but don't you miss writing lyrics and performing?"

"Well, I do miss performing at the pub, but I still dabble with lyrics." She smiled at him, cupping his face tenderly with the palm of her hand. "I do love you Harry Potter."

"Luckily for me," quipped Harry, kissing the palm of her hand in return. "Okay, I'll leave this topic alone for another few years."

"Good. Now come along to dinner before the twins destroy the kitchen." From the study, they could hear squeals and all sorts of racket coming from the kitchen. They both rolled their eyes and walked down the hallway together.

ooOOoo

_Saturday, 8th November 2014…_

"AAAAAAAND WELCOME TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE HOGWARTS QUIDDITCH SEASON FOR 2014!" came the cry from Lee Jordan, who was guest commentating the game. "AND LET'S GIVE A CHEER FOR BOTH TEAMS AS THEY ENTER THE STADIUM, GRYFFINDOR AND SLYTHERIN!"

The cheers from the spectators was deafening, as the streaks of green and silver, and gold and scarlet, raced out of the locker rooms and zoomed around the stadium.

Watching from below was Samantha's _entire_ family, from Harry and Ginny and her siblings, to all her Uncles, Aunties and her cousins that weren't yet at Hogwarts. Add to that Harry's Godparents, friends… there was probably about 50 of them all together. And all the cousins had got together and made a sign for Samantha.

With all the kids sitting in front of the adults of the adults, the Potter/Weasley clan stood up and proudly held the banner up, so that they were hidden completely by the sign.

**GOOD LUCK SAMANTHA!**

**GO GET 'EM!**

"AND IT LOOKS LIKE SAMANTHA POTTER HAS SOME SUPPORT HERE TODAY FOR HER QUIDDITCH DEBUT!" said Lee Jordan. "AND SHE'S GOT BIG SHOES TO FILL, WITH THE FAMOUS HARRY POTTER AS HER FATHER. ACTUALLY SHE MAY EVEN BE BETTER THAN HER OLD MAN, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE!" Lee Jordan waved to Harry from his commentary position, grinning like a madman.

"Mr Jordan, would you please quit the compliments and get on with the game!" admonished Professor McGonagall from right behind him.

"Yes Professor," said Jordan saluting her cheekily.

"Some things never change," she remarked drily.

ooOOoo

Harry and Ginny were holding hands tightly. The were watching the sky carefully, as the players flew around. The scores were even at 110 each. The game had been going for two hours and the students, not used to professional flying, were tiring. The only one who didn't look at all tired was their daughter, Samantha.

She was combing the sky slowly, keeping her eyes peeled for the Golden Snitch, and precisely at that moment, she stopped in mid-air and Harry knew from experience that she'd spotted the Snitch. The crowd were watching her, almost silent. Then suddenly, Samantha dove!

And her dive was a perfect Wronski Feint.

Ginny glanced at Harry briefly, but his focus was totally on Samantha; he was holding his breath, as was everyone, it seemed. Her heart was in her throat and Ginny reached out with her other hand to Hermione who was sitting beside her.

"She's been practicing day and night Ginny, she knows what she's doing. She really is as good as Harry," murmured Hermione as Samantha got closer and closer to the ground.

The roar of the crowd was ignited and the noise swelled as Samantha got closer to the Snitch. She pulled out of the dive just before collision was imminent and then followed the Snitch along the ground. She reached out with her right hand and in just a few seconds had closed her fist around the Snitch and won the match!

"AND GRYFFINDOR WINS 260 POINTS TO 110, THE SNITCH CAUGHT BY THE GRYFFINDOR SEEKER IN SUPERB FASHION - VERY REMINISCENT OF HARRY POTTER'S FIRST WIN, MANY YEARS AGO!" Lee was ecstatic and was jumping up and down in the Commentary Box. "CONGRATULATIONS TO GRYFFINDOR! GO, GO GRYFFINDOR, GO, GO GRYFINDOR!" The crowd took up the chant and the noise was thunderous.

Both teams flew down to the ground and everyone shook hands.

"It's nice to see the teams shake hands as genuine friends, isn't it?" asked Remus of Sirius, over the roar of the crowd.

"Yeah, but I have to admit that I almost miss the animosity of the old days between Slytherin and Gryffindor, but each year it gets better and better, though it took a while to get it to this point," replied Sirius.

"Hey Professor Black, what did you think?" cried out an enthusiastic Gryffindor student, with blonde pigtails bouncing everywhere from excitement.

"Pretty good for the first game of the season Felicity!" Sirius yelled back.

"Calling students by their first names are we?" mused Remus.

"Yeah, I decided that calling them Mr and Miss was just a time waster and asked all my students if I couldn't call them by their first names. They love it!"

"Are you sure you're fit to be Defence teacher this year?" asked Harry cheekily.

"Probably not," chimed in Anne.

"But then, that's what his students love about him. And you too Harry," added Tonks smoothly. "They love getting to know characters that are right out of their history books." Tonks, who was quite pregnant with their second child, sidled up to the group, and put her arms around her husband.

Julian, their eldest, was 13 and on the Gryffindor Quidditch team with Samantha as a Chaser, had been very surprised at the news that he was going to get a baby brother or sister. Not as surprised as his parents were, but it had come as a welcome shock nonetheless. Julian had already entertained ideas of being a Professor at Hogwarts when his sibling came through for the first time.

"C'mon," cried Hermione, ecstatic interrupting their conversation excitedly, "let's go down to the pitch and congratulate Samantha! The kids have already beaten us to it." She left hurriedly and ran off like an excited teenager, down through the stands.

Ron just rolled his eyes and stood up with everyone else, picking up his youngest daughter in his arms. "Unbelievable. In her mid 30's and she's still as mad as ever."

"Yeah, no wonder the kids love her," remarked Ginny smiling. "C'mon Mr Potter, let's get down there to our daughter and see if she's okay. I think Lee was going to interview her."

"He wouldn't dare!" said Harry, his voice stern.

"Yes, he would," chimed in George poking his head in between Harry and Ginny. "And Samantha said she didn't have a problem with it. She has approval over what gets printed and Colin's even going to take a picture of the team. It's excellent!" George and Fred raced off quickly, their redheaded kids scampering after them… cries of "Daddy", "Daddy", disappearing down the stairs.

"You know, Harry, you can't control every part of her life whilst she's here you know. Samantha's going to be fine. And Lee wouldn't do anything to make you angry - he's a good guy, remember?" teased Ginny lovingly into her husband's ear.

Harry grunted and bent down to pick up Daniel as he walked down the stairs and exited the stadium.

ooOOoo

Samantha was with her teammates, including Julian. In fact, both House teams were still on the pitch, chatting away. Lee was in the middle of the lot of them asking not only Samantha questions, but also the other players, who were all the next generation of children from Lee's and Harry's era at Hogwarts.

But before they could reach the large group on the pitch, Hermione, Harry and Ron saw the unmistakable, and horrifying, vision of Rita Skeeter strolling across the pitch to the two teams, dressed in horrid bright, lurid pink, who hadn't spotted her yet.

But the trio had and they marched forward, Harry giving Daniel to Ginny before following Hermione and Ron, dragging his youngest daughter, Sarah, as he walked quickly beside his best friends.

Ms Skeeter got to the group of students before the trio could and, in her usual bossy style, rudely shoved her highly polished lime green nails, with her traditional lime green Quick-Quotes Quill poised at the ready, into the faces of the students there.

Ginny caught up to the trio and pulled them back, whispering to them urgently. "Let Samantha handle this. Harry, Ron, Hermione, I know you want to smack Rita right out of the stadium, but don't you dare… remember what you wrote in your letter Harry? She's _got_ to figure this out for herself. Let's just see how she handles it."

Ron, Hermione and Harry stopped just short of the crowd; Sirius and Remus had also sidled up alongside them, for support.

"Samantha Potter, a few questions please?" burst out Rita Skeeter as she elbowed her way through the crowd of students. Cries of "Ow!" "Hey!" "Ouch!" were heard from various and sundry.

"Who's asking? Oh," Samantha stopped short as she turned around and stared daggers at the reporter who was now in the centre of the group of students. "Ms Skeeter. What do you want?" She sought her Dad out in the crowd and gave him a discreet nod of her head. She had no intention of being polite.

"See that Harry?" whispered Ginny. "She's gonna be just fine, you'll see."

"Ah dear Samantha, it must have been incredibly hard for you to debut in the shadow of all that your father has accomplished?" Rita Skeeter's smile was sharp and harsh. She was poised for the quote of a lifetime!

"Actually, Ms Skeeter, it was exhilarating and not in the least bit difficult," replied Samantha confidently. With a discreet gesture of her hand, one of the other Gryffindor players moved around behind Rita and began reading what the Quick-Quotes Quill was writing. Jamie's eyes widened and he shook his head emphatically at Samantha, who snatched the notepad out of the air and with a quick flick of her wand, burnt it to a crisp.

"If you think, for one minute, that I'm going to let you print a load of lies and rubbish about me and my family again, Ms Skeeter, then you obviously don't have a clue who you're dealing with!" stated Samantha, standing proud and straight-backed.

Harry was watching his eldest daughter with pride. She was much more confident than he had been at her age. In his fourth year he hadn't known how to deal with Rita Skeeter. Then again, he mused to himself, Samantha had benefited from the beauty of hindsight and first hand historical accounts.

"My dear, you'd better watch out or I will be the least of your problems," cooed Rita, wringing her hands gleefully. This was all good material.

"That wouldn't be a threat now would it?" called out Hermione, who just couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Hermione!" chided Ginny.

"Oh shush Ginny, this is going to be worth it."

"You're a Professor remember?" reminded Ron quietly.

"Which just means I can get away with a lot more than we could at school," whispered Hermione quietly. "Trust me a little bit, would you?" She grinned back at everyone standing there.

Sirius raised his eyebrows, but looked unconcerned about what Hermione might do.

"Who said that?" shot out Rita suddenly in response to Hermione's comment.

"Me," said Hermione as she came into Rita's line of sight.

"Ah, yes, Professor Weasley, glad you could make it. I have a few questions to ask of you - " began Rita Skeeter before she was interrupted.

"Oh - no - you - don't," said Hermione, her voice dangerously quiet.

"Uh oh," murmured Ron, turning to Harry, "see you've gotta watch out when her voice gets all quiet like that. It's worse than when she's yelling, trust me."

The family and friends surrounding Harry, Ron and Ginny just chuckled quietly, waiting for whatever happened next.

"Oh really?" piped up Rita.

"Yes," began Hermione, taking another step forward, until Samantha stopped her.

"It's okay Aunty Hermione, I'll handle this. I have the perfect weapon, trust me," said Samantha out of the corner of her mouth, before saying in a very loud voice. "Rita, if you don't get off this property now, which, by the way, you don't have permission to be on - where the hell is Dumbledore? - then believe me when I say I'm excellent at Transfiguration and have no qualms about turning you into a beetle - I believe you know the experience well."

At this remark the crowd cracked up laughing and Rita Skeeter, by now supremely embarrassed, huffed off, taking her photographer with her.

"Miss Potter," said a quiet, serious voice.

Samantha stood perfectly still and didn't turn around at the voice. She knew who it was. "Professor Dumbledore." She bravely turned to face him; she knew she'd crossed the line and was prepared to apologise profusely. Everyone around them was also silent.

"That was quite a win," mused Dumbledore, smiling genially, "but maybe you could ask me _before_ the match if you can use my name in vain," he suggested gently. His eyes were twinkling with mirth.

"Yes sir," replied Samantha obediently. "Sorry Professor, I just didn't want her to walk all over me. She needs to know that I'm not as shy as my father used to be."

"Ah, I do agree with you there, Samantha."

"And I'm really sorry about the 'where the hell is' comment, sir," repeated Samantha again.

"Not at all. I understand what you're up against with Rita, and you were in fact, quite correct, she has been permanently banned from Hogwarts, so I'll make sure her Editor knows that she's committed an illegal act and get him to deal with it, shall I?"

"That would be fantastic," cried Samantha, "can I listen in on that sir?" Samantha looked up at Dumbledore with all exuberance of any 11 year old.

"I think I might handle that call by myself," replied Dumbledore, patting her shoulder good naturedly. "Now, I think you family is waiting to congratulate you."

Samantha turned to see her parents smiling proudly off to one side.

The crowd broke up and Samantha's parents moved forward to hug their daughter tightly in their arms. "Sammy, you were fantastic," whispered Harry to Samantha. "Bit cheeky with Rita though weren't you?"

"And can you really turn her into a beetle?" asked Daniel all wide-eyed and curious.

"No, sport, I certainly _can't_ turn her into a beetle, but I was kinda hoping that Aunty Hermione would do it for me without anyone noticing," Samantha laughed out loud and bent down to pick up her little brother. "How are you? Are the twins giving you a hard time again?"

"Yes! How did you know that?" asked Daniel, simply amazed that his sister knew so much stuff.

"Well Daniel, they are very much like Uncle George and Uncle Fred, so it's not too surprising really," explained Samantha seriously.

"And they're doing a fabulous job," encouraged Fred cheekily, joining in the conversation.

"Well, maybe you could encourage them NOT to pick on their young brother thanks," quipped Ginny, smacking both her brothers over their heads in turn.

"Ow, Ginny!" they both cried out together.

"What! You can't just expect me to sit by whilst you ruin my twins and watch little Daniel get teased can you?"

"C'mon Ginny, lighten up will ya? Daniel's going to be fine. Just you watch, he'll turn out just like Harry," surmised George. "Nothing wrong with that now, is there?"

Her twin brothers just grinned at her cheekily; Ginny just turned away and gave up.

Father and daughter wandered off and sat down on the grass for a moment, alone.

"So, Dad, what do you think? Was I okay?" Her fathers' approval meant everything to Samantha. And though she tried to separate herself from her father; it wasn't easy.

"What do you think?" said Harry quietly.

"I dunno," came her quiet response, she shrugged her shoulders.

"Really? Because it kinda looked like you caught the Snitch and won the game for Gryffindor," replied Harry looking at his daughter, whose head was turned away.

"Yeah," came her quiet reply.

Harry tried a different tack. "Did you have fun?"

Her head shot up. "Yeah, it was brilliant!" Her eyes shone fiercely, pride and honour evident in their depths.

"And I thought _you_ were brilliant," Harry admitted at last, kissing his first born gently upon her hair.

"Really Dad. I was okay?"

"Samantha, you don't need my approval. I thought we talked about this," Harry reminded her.

"Yeah, Dad, I know, but I can't help it. I want to know what you think. I want to know if you thought my style was good, if you think I'm good enough to play for England." It all came out in a rush, breathless and excited.

"Well, it's a yes to all of it," replied Harry. It's not that he didn't _want_ to praise her to the skies, it was more that he wanted her to realise _herself_ how good she was, and she was bloody good. But he also didn't want her to become cocky and conceited. She had such a level headed child and he wanted her to stay that way. It would hold her in good stead in the years to come. "I'm really more concerned that you're having fun and enjoying yourself when you're up there."

He got up and pulled her to her feet and they were suddenly surrounded by everyone on all sides, with Lee Jordan jostling for position.

"Well Harry, what did you think? She good enough to play for England?"

"I guess that depends on what she wants to do with the rest of her life, and it's only just starting, so let's keep that question out of the papers shall we, Lee? But yes, I think she's damn good."

"No worries Harry," intervened Colin, "I'll make sure Lee doesn't get carried away. Now would you mind if I got a picture of everyone, friends _and_ family?"

Colin got everyone into a large group and got them sorted out. As he pulled Ginny forward to stand just in front of Harry, he asked her, "Hey, Ginny, how's Emily and the band going?"

"Oh really well, Colin. They're touring the UK and Europe next summer, and they're finishing off the new album in the studio as we speak."

"And do you miss it at all?" he was curious, as were most people, about the life she'd led away from wizarding society all those years ago.

"Nope, not a bit. I mean I love singing, and I love teaching music and stuff like that, but I don't miss the gigs or the touring that Emily does. Especially in the muggle world. Harry and I are too visible for that. And we didn't particularly want the wizard press getting hold of the fact that I was taking jaunts off to the muggle world all the time. And besides," she said smiling brightly, "I've got a wonderful husband and beautiful kids, what more could I want?"

Harry gave her an affectionate squeeze from behind, nibbling and kissing her neck till she squealed. "Harry! That tickles!"

ooOOoo

An hour later and Lee Jordan and Colin Creevey had finished interviewing not only Samantha, but both Quidditch teams. With the eldest Weasley, Miranda, also on the team, it was going to be a nice piece.

After the first few questions, Harry had decided that they were safe and that Lee would do a good job, and left as both teams were sitting down in the middle of the pitch, excitedly answering his questions and talking amongst themselves about how the first game had gone.

Harry made his way to the Great Hall where a lunch had been put on for all staff, students and attending families of the Quidditch match. Dumbledore and McGonagall had decided a few years ago, that with relations so good between the houses, that each Quidditch match should be a family event. That way parents would have the opportunity to see their children a few more times a year than just the holidays.

It had become a very successful event, which the elves _loved_ preparing for. Harry opened the doors to a cacophony of noise and spotted the Potter/Weasley clan on the far side, taking up a very long table. He took a seat in between Ginny and Sirius and began helping himself to the array of food on display.

"Harry," said Sirius beside him, "Lee Jordan wanted to interview you, me and Remus if we had time before we left today."

"What for?" Harry was a little confused by the request. Lee had never asked to interview him before.

"Well, I think it's a case of he's already here doing one story, so the Daily Prophet asked him if he could talk to us whilst he's here."

"What's the story though?"

"Our success in job sharing and switching between working at Hogwarts and the MLES every other year," remarked Sirius smiling.

"Oh," came Harry's surprised reply. "Didn't think it was that newsworthy actually."

"Yes, well, anything you do is newsworthy Harry, though you still won't admit it after 20 years."

"Hmph," was Harry's only response, whilst he started on his lunch. He was busy keeping an eye on his twins and little Daniel opposite him, who was looking at everything in awe, his eyes wide open, not missing a thing. "I feel as though I'm just about ready for a break to be honest."

"I know how you feel. I mean, I really admire Minerva and Albus, teaching and working all these years, but yeah, I feel as though I'd like to take a few years off before coming back again," admitted Sirius.

"Excuse me, Professor Black?" came a tiny voice behind them.

Sirius turned to find what looked like a first year student, nervously waiting behind him and Harry. "Hi Stuart, what can I help you with?"

"I was just wondering something." He stared up at Sirius and Harry, wide eyed and curious, but still mostly nervous. "I just told my friends that it was _your_ idea to start the Student Exchange program between Hogwarts and the Melbourne Academy of Magic. But they think it was actually Professor Dumbledore. Could you tell me who's right?"

"Well," began Sirius seriously, his expression completely transforming to address the issue at hand, "I guess you could say it was both of us. It was my idea initially, but I had to ask for Professor Dumbledore's permission first. And he did all the communicating with the Headmaster of the Melbourne Academy of Magic to get it all done."

Stuart seemed to consider all this, and nodded affirmatively. "That's good enough for me. Thanks Professor. I just won a galleon!" He grinned and as Harry and Sirius watched, he shot off like lightning to tell his friends. They heard a groan and then watched as a number of students pulled coins from their pockets and handed them over to Stuart, who turned back to Sirius and raised his fist, now filled with money, to show his teacher his success.

"Wow - you're really…" Harry was lost for words.

"What?" replied Sirius.

"I've just never really seen you with your students outside the classroom before. I mean I know that sounds crazy because we've been sharing this job with Remus for years now, but I honestly think this is the first time I've seen you converse with them outside the Defence classroom."

"Surprised that I'm not a larrikin anymore, are you?"

Harry paused and looked at his godfather fondly. "Yeah, kinda." He smiled. "But I like it. And I like sharing jobs with you and Remus. I think it's good for the students, good for Defence Against the Dark Arts as well as being good for the MLES. I mean, how many ideas have the kids come up with that have made their way, in some form or another, into the MLES for further development?"

"Plenty," piped up Tonks. "And the Ministry of Magic loves it! I heard Percy saying the other day, that he couldn't help but boast about the students here to the Muggle Prime Minister the other day when they were discussing education and children in general. He sounded quite proud of Hogwarts, actually."

"Well, it gave him a brilliant education and I think he's finally realised that he isn't the only really, really smart wizard around. I think the twins making a success of their joke shop made him realise that," replied Ginny evenly.

"Good," said George, "about time we got some credit in regards to Percy."

"George," said Ginny calmly, "he loves you both, you've just got to realise how different you are to each other."

"Surprised he didn't come today, actually," mused Fred.

"Well, he couldn't for many reasons," explained Ginny patiently. "None-the-least of which is he can't be seen, as Minister of Magic, to be supporting any particular team at his old school, and also because he had meetings that he just couldn't get out of. But you caught it all on the Omnioculars, didn't you Ron?"

"Naturally," replied Ron, who was still eating lunch at a million miles an hour, Sarah tucked in beside him. "Miranda," he said to his eldest, "can you go and find your siblings please? I can't see them anywhere."

"Sure thing Dad." She approached Samantha, who pulled the Marauders Map out of her pocket and they both perused it carefully. "Aha!" she cried.

"Where are they?"

"Down at the kitchens," answered Samantha sagely. "Probably seeing what the elves will give them to take home."

Both girls just rolled their eyes and turned back to Ron. "Want me to go fetch them, Dad?" suggested Miranda tentatively.

"Nope, I'll do it. They won't be expecting me, and I know plenty of - " Hermione cut him off with a cough, " - um, I mean, I know plenty of phrases that will get them marching back here quick enough." Ron got up to leave, but Ginny called him back.

"Ron! The reason I asked about the Omnioculars is because Percy wants you to send them to his place straight away, so he can watch it when he gets home."

Ron nodded in agreement and then, with Sarah trotting beside him, left to find his three middle children.

"I think it's great that you're all so supportive of Samantha," said Harry a little quietly.

"Ah Harry, the Potter/Weasley clan, will be famous, not only because of you and all that 'hero' stuff," here George winked at Harry, to lighten the mood, "but because we are the biggest family now at Hogwarts, by far."

"Hey, you know the weirdest thing about being back at Hogwarts again?" asked Fred. "And that's the absence of Professor Snape. It's just not the same without him, is it?"

Sirius and Remus exchanged grins, but didn't say a word.

"What you are two smiling about?" asked James.

"Well, as it happens," began Remus, "we got a letter from him the other day."

"You're kidding!" exclaimed George and Fred together.

"Why would we kid about something like that?" asked Sirius, discreetly flicking a bit of bread at them. "He retired from Hogwarts about 10 years ago."

"Has it been that long?" asked Harry.

"Yep," replied Sirius.

"I think he was feeling invaded by his old students, actually," Anne interposed smoothly. "Between Sirius and Remus, and then Harry and Hermione being here… well, I think it was a little bit much for Severus in the end." She smiled serenely and sighed happily, linking her arm through Sirius's.

"Grandpa?" asked Daniel from the other side of the table.

"Yes young Daniel," replied Sirius.

"How come you and Grandma don't have kids?"

"Daniel!" cried Ginny, sounding completely horrified. "That's a very personal question sweetie. You shouldn't - "

"It's okay Ginny," Sirius interrupted her gently. "That's not the first time we've been asked that question by the grandkids." Ginny looked surprised at this bit of information. Sirius turned his attention back to the youngest Potter grandchild, his expression matching Daniel's - serious, not making fun of the young boy at all.

"Actually Daniel, Anne and I did think about having a baby together," started Sirius.

"So why didn't you?" came Daniel's innocent question.

Everyone around him smiled, but kept quiet.

"Actually, Daniel," said Anne, "we decided that we had so many other children in our lives, that we didn't need any more."

Daniel looked a bit perplexed at this. "But I thought that just Aunty Emily was yours, isn't she?" asked Daniel getting confused.

"Yes, she is, but then Grandpa Sirius considers your Dad to be like his own son. And given that Harry grew up with the Weasley kids… well, we think of them as our kids too sometimes."

Daniel nodded his head, his eyes wide, green and taking in everything Anne was saying.

"Do you think he really understands?" whispered Cassandra to her brother James.

"Not sure, but it looks like he does," came the considered reply.

Daniel piped up with another question for the adults around him, and before long everyone was engrossed in talk of family history, the Marauders' time at Hogwarts, and what the future might hold.

ooOOoo

Professor Dumbledore sat in his usual spot in the centre of the head table, watching over the Great Hall, and silently rejoicing in the harmony that pervaded every crevice of Hogwarts at the moment.

"Albus, you're reminiscing again, aren't you?" said Professor McGonagall lightly, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes, indeed, Minerva. It's just taken such a long time for things to settle, but I'm especially pleased that things have truly settled here at last, especially for Harry's sake."

"Well, I think having Harry and Sirius _and_ Remus teach here has been a good thing, for all the Houses. I think it's given Slytherin another perspective, and the students have seen for themselves who they really are, as people, not just as abstract bits of history that they've read about," replied McGonagall. "And the fact that the Heads of Houses actually get along these days is rather nice." Her comment touching on the fact that Severus had never been terribly popular during this time, with students or staff.

She, too, was proud of had been accomplished at Hogwarts, in terms of inter-House harmony. And as she looked out across the hall, she could see students from different Houses, bringing their friends over to meet parents, family - and is was obvious that all the Houses were mixing together - quite happily.

Both Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress's gazes were eventually drawn to the Potter/Weasley clan on the far right of the hall.

"I'm thinking of retiring Minerva. Do you want my job?" smiled Albus at his Deputy, genially, as if he was talking about the weather.

"Naturally, Albus. But who would you choose to replace _me_?" smiled McGonagall just as genially, sipping from a glass of red wine.

"I was thinking of Remus. What do you think?"

McGonagall pondered this for a moment, glancing across at Remus and Tonks, who were now standing talking to Julian and meeting his friends from other Houses. "An excellent choice. He has just the right sort of temperament for the job."

"And we definitely need someone to keep Sirius and Harry in line as time marches on," commented Dumbledore.

"Ah, they've both turned out pretty good don't you think, Albus? I mean, I never thought I'd see the day when Sirius was completely responsible, mature _and_ rational." She smiled indulgently. "I'm quite proud of how our students have turned out, aren't you?"

"Of course. It's been wonderful to watch Harry and friends grow up, survive Voldemort and even today, still help the wizarding world by teaching themselves. Quite something." Professor Dumbledore sat with Professor McGonagall and felt a great sense of life having come full circle.

The wizarding world was at peace, and with the Weasley and Potter clans helping inside the Ministry and at Hogwarts, and with continued guidance from Sirius and Remus, it would be at peace for some time to come.

The End


End file.
